A Lifelong Devotion
by Rose Lillian Marshall 2
Summary: This is a story from the time before and during the French Revolution. It concerns the fictional love story of Maximilien Robespierre and Élisabeth Rousseau, the fictional daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau that I made in my mind. Full summary inside.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

**This is a story of fiction.**

* * *

A boy became the student of a great philosopher and met his eldest daughter. He fell in love with her and after eight years of corresponding, he married her. They loved each other passionately and were devoted to each other until his death. They thought they would live together happily for the rest of their lives, but the time was too troubled and it was bound for anyone to be killed. The romantic tale became a tragedy.

This is the fictional story of two lovers from the time of the French Revolution (1788-1799). France was in turmoil from revolts and riots. One of the richest and more powerful countries in Europe in 1789, France was being run into the ground by debts due to the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War and by the eve of the Revolution, France was almost bankrupt. Taxes and the peasants' unrest with the privileges of the nobles also contributed to the instigation of the Revolution. As for the lovers, the man was one of the greater leaders of the Revolution during the time of the Reign of Terror. Unfortunately for him, he was brought down by the accusations of tyranny for the deaths of 1, 285 people and was guillotined. The woman was grief-stricken and never married again in the last years of her life.

This is a fictional story with historical facts woven in. Élisabeth Rousseau never existed and Jean-Jacques Rousseau did not keep his children. They were sent to an orphanage and this was the opportunity for other philosophers such as Voltaire to attack Rousseau with. Rousseau explained that he would have been a poor father and they were better off in an orphanage. Others such as Robert Rousseau and Anne Colbert never existed either; they were incorporated to help with the main characters. A Lifelong Devotion deals with the more personal side of Maximilien Robespierre and the fictional daughter of his mentor Rousseau. Most of the chapters are fictional and deal with the personal lives of Robespierre and Élisabeth.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	2. A New Year

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

**_A New Year_**

January 1, 1770 dawned a bright new day. Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, known as Lise to her friends, rose from her bed to the small desk standing in a corner of her room and opened her diary to the next entry and wrote:

_January 1, 1770_  
_A new year has come. 1770! Mother celebrated by presenting a beautifully made coat to Robbie and a new dress for me, blue of course. Mother makes such beautiful clothing. Father celebrated by taking on five boys as students to his philosophies; all of them beautiful, bright boys with promise for the future, Father says. Today I hope to have a réunion with NeNe today. She can tell me how the nobility spend their New Year. I just hope that Father does not introduce us to the boys and notice me gone. Surely he would throw a crise de rage*. If that happens, Mother will calm him down…I hope._

_Lise_

Closing the diary, she quickly dressed and ran down the stairs into the study to find her father writing another essay. Jean-Jacques Rousseau looked up upon hearing her footsteps down the stairs and smiled, putting down his quill and holding his arms out to her. "_Bonjour, père_*!" she cried as she ran into those comforting arms.

"Bonjour, _fille_*," was the reply back. Lise looked down at the document and read 'Les Confessions de Jean-Jacques Rousseau'.

"Père, I thought you have finished that?" Rousseau's expression showed puzzlement. "Bouton d'or*, I have. I am merely fixing it before I go to teach the _étudiants_*."

Lise nodded, her expression of understanding apparent on her features as she walked into the kitchen. Before she walked out the door, she grabbed a slice of bread and an apple to nibble on for her _petit déjeuner_*.

J.J. turned back to his 'Confessions', thinking about how the years had passed. Lise and Robbie had grown into intelligent young adults, learning from their father of his philosophies and knowledge. He had planned to send Lise off to school, but he was too busy to even think about it. Before he could contemplate it some more, Rèse came down the stairs already dressed for her _emploi_*. J.J. decided he would finish the book later as he embraced her.

Lise bounded down the streets of Paris, looking for her friend NeNe. The markets bustled with peasants buying bread, corn and flour, but Lise took no notice. The slice of bread and the apple lay forgotten in her basket when she saw her _frère_* Robbie.

"Robbie! Robbie! Robbie! Robbie!" was what the boy heard before he was knocked over by his baby sister. Lise held her brother in a bone-crushing hug even though he tried hard to pry her off. Lise had not seen her brother for nearly four days with him being at school and she could not contain the great happiness that had welled up inside her.

"Lise, _chère soeur_*, let go," he said, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice. Robbie had to admit, he had missed his baby sister when he had been at school. Robbie wanted to be a composer and he had already composed a duet for violin and flute entitled 'Amour dans l'Air' (Love in the Air) for a girl he had fallen in love with. His father had been proud of him when he heard the news of his composition and Robbie had even played it for his school. He had also taught Lise the violin when she was only six and she was accomplished by age nine. After long minutes of asphyxiation, Lise finally let him go. Robbie knew before she had opened her mouth that she was going to pelt him with a torrent of questions about school, so he raised his hand and silenced her effectively.

"_Soeur_, before you say anything I will answer what is on your mind. School has been wonderful, simply wonderful! Father has told me personally that he plans to send you off to finish your education so that you may be a woman of great intelligence when you grow." Lise's face grew bright.

"I would love to go to school, frère. It is what I have always dreamed of! Wow, a literate woman…I will be one of the first!" As the two siblings walked back home, Lise bubbled over with excitement over the news. Robbie smiled.

"Non, you will not be the first, baby sister. There have been many women before you who were very well educated, but I have no doubts that you will be very smart when you are older." Lise smiled as Robbie pulled her into a one-armed hug.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	3. Child's Play

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

J.J. looked among the five heads that sat at desks in the small room. All the boys showed great promise for the future of France. All had brilliant minds, but only one of them was currently attending the Louis-le-Grand School: Maximilien Robespierre. One thing that J.J. did not like about Maximilien was that he was painfully shy. When he had been brought to Rousseau for teaching, the boy had not said a word. There was that occasional flicker of his eyes to J.J. before they cast down to the ground. Only eleven years old, there was no doubt that Maximilien was the smartest among the five. J.J. checked the grandfather clock at the side of the room, reading 2:47 PM. It would not be long before Rèse returned and made dinner. Lise was not home yet; she was possibly playing with her friend NeNe. Before another thought could enter his mind, the door burst open and in ran Lise with Robbie hot on her trail. She had stolen the hat off his head and was running her little legs off to keep him from catching her. Unfortunately for J.J., their little chase soon came into the chamber with all the boys. Halfway through the room, Lise tripped and fell over, Robbie following suit. J.J. rose from his desk, his booming voice echoing through the otherwise empty house.

"Robert François de Rousseau! Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau!"

The two siblings stopped dead and stared up at their father. The five boys had stopped writing and also stared at J.J. for his reaction.

"As you can see, I am trying to teach and it does not help that you two are running around like _éléphants_*! Now…Élisabeth, go to your chambers and Robert, stay here."

Lise jumped up, brushing herself off and ran in the direction of her bedchamber. Her basket lay forgotten on the floor, the apple having rolled out of it. Maximilien, who had been the boy right next to the whole commotion, picked up the apple and placed it in his desk, planning to give it back to the girl called Lise.

"Mon fils, I know that I should not have to remind you that you and your sister should not disturb me while I am teaching. It is not polite," J.J. spoke in a hushed tone so the boys in the chamber could not eavesdrop on the conversation, but the boys were not paying attention to their work. Instead they were trying to hear what J.J. was saying. He turned to them and said in his most commanding voice, "Continue your work, _étudiants_." The boys quickly turned back to their work, but they secretly kept an open ear to the conversation.

"_Oui _father, but Lise started it! She took my hat and ran off with it," Robbie said, "She was the one acting li-" "I don't care what your sister did! You are fifteen years of age! She is only ten! Élisabeth is only a little girl, but you should know better. Now, here is your hat. Go back to school."

J.J.'s words were firm. Robbie snatched the hat from his father's hand and stomped off. J.J. walked back to his desk and sat down, a great sigh heaving from his chest as he put his face in his hands. He began wondering if it had been worth it to have children. Rèse had been the one to suggest it and they had five children: three boys and two girls. Robert had been born September 16, 1755 and Lise had been born June 5, 1759. Two boys and one girl died in childbirth, leaving the eldest son and daughter. At that time, the clock struck 3 and the boys were dismissed. Maximilien was the only one left in the chamber still writing. J.J. smiled and walked over to the young boy, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"_Mon cher garçon*_, you should run home now," the philosophe said. Before he could say anything more, the boy had gathered his things and run off. Another great sigh escaped him and he went upstairs to talk with Lise about the events that had occurred. He opened her door to an empty room. The window hung open. She had tied her sheets together and crawled out the window. J.J. boiled with anger.

"ÉLISABETH ISABELLE!"

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	4. Leisurely Meetings

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Lise ran among the people of Paris, desperate to get away from her home for a while. When she reached the square, she stopped. An execution was occurring. The victim was being prepared for the hangman's noose, the rope placed around his neck and tightened. His crimes were read by a clergyman, numerous in number and horrible in nature. Lise was relieved that the man was going to die since one of his crimes had been the rape and murder of a girl her age. A large crowd surrounded the scaffold, screaming for the death of the man.

"May God have mercy on your soul," the clergyman said, but the man spat and yelled, "Damn God and his angels! Damn them all!"

At those words the lever was pulled and the floor fell away, the rope pulling taut. The sound of a neck snapping echoed through the square. Lise stood there in silence, watching with wide eyes at the lifeless body swinging from the rope. She was so engrossed in it that she didn't notice the boy standing at her side.

"I assume you have never seen an execution before?" Lise jumped at the voice beside her and glanced at the boy before turning back to the scene.

"No. No I have not. It is a good thing he died for those terrible crimes, but that sound of his neck breaking was just horrible." Lise looked back at the boy. Why did he seem so familiar?

"Well, I already know your name. You are Élisabeth, are you not?" His voice was kind and polite, although a bit shaky. Lise stared at him. How did he know her name? "My name is Maximilien. Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre." His hand was extended to her. Lise hesitated for a moment before grasping his hand, which he brought to his lips. Just like a gentleman, Lise thought with a giggle.

"Well, you have my name right. I am Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, Maximilien. Wait, I should call you Maxi. It is much more informal as we are not business partners." Maximilien chuckled.  
"Very well, then you are Lise to me and I shall be Maxi to you. I think you may have seen me before. I was there when you and your _frère _tumbled into the room." Lise blushed, just a light touch to the cheeks.

"Y-you were there? Then you must be one of my father's _étudiants_." Maxi nodded, his eyes downcast. Slowly, he held out the apple to her.

"I think you forgot this when you left the room earlier," he said.

Lise looked at the apple and smiled. "You can have it, Maxi. I think you're hungry." She was right when his stomach cried its indignation. Maxi looked mortified while Lise laughed.

"Don't you have a home to go back to?" she asked. Maxi's eyes returned to her face, shaking his head.

"I study at the Louis-le-Grand school here. My brother Bonbon is living with our aunts." Lise's smile was sad.

"Your parents are dead, aren't they?"

Maxi's eyes returned to the ground. "My _mère _died in childbirth, but my _père _still lives although I do not know where he is."

"Well…you could live with my father and I, but I am not entirely sure," Lise said, her eyes returning to the scaffold where the crowd was beginning to disappear. The man's body had been taken down and thrown into the burial cart, which was slowly making its way out of the square. Maxi's eyes flew to Lise's face.

"You are very kind, but I am afraid I must decline. I must return to my brother," he said. Lise smiled and nodded.

"Very well then Maxi, I will take my leave. Good day to you." With those words, Lise turned and began to walk off, but then she saw her father. His face was beet red and his expression was of extreme anger. Lise did not waste a second. She whipped around, grabbed Maxi by the arm and began running. As she ran down a street, it began to rain.

"Where are we going!" Maxi yelled from behind her.

"Nowhere, just run!" was her reply. Maxi had to run for a mile before Lise finally stopped outside the Bois de Boulogne, a small forest in the city of Paris. Maxi stopped and hunched over, breathing hard.

"What is wrong with you?" he demanded between gasps for breath. Lise turned and scanned the area around her. It seemed safe, but they had to get under shelter to stay dry from the pouring rain. She grabbed Maxi's arm again and dragged him into the forest with her.

"I could get used to this, being dragged around by a _fille_," Maxi said.

Once Lise had deemed it safe and dry enough, she sat down and put her head in her hands.

"Father is going to kill me when I get home. I disobeyed him," she muttered, shaking her head in her hands. Maxi sat next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I am sure he will not kill you. He will lecture you more than likely on safety and disobedience and…and…running off with some strange _garçon_!" Maxi began laughing as he said this. Lise stared, not understanding the humor in it. It began to sink in slowly and the two of them were laughing together now.

Lise stopped and gazed up at the trees. "I remember when my father and mother used to take Robbie and I here. I was only five years of age, but I still remember all the paths. It is so beautiful here."

Maxi listened to her little memory as he took a book out of his pack and began to read. Lise turned to him, seeing the book in his hand. She looked over his shoulder, reading _'Dictionnaire philosophique'_.

"Do you enjoy the works of Voltaire?" Maxi's voice startled her out of her mind. Lise smiled at him, nodding her head.

"Father doesn't like it when I read Voltaire. They are bitter rivals, but Voltaire just enthralls me with his words," she said.

"When I am older, I want to be just like Voltaire and your father; a great man of power someday," Maxi mused, his head in the clouds. Lise patted his shoulder.

"I will support you through it all, Maxi," she said honestly, her voice warm. Maxi looked to Lise and smiled, laugh lines splintering around his eyes.

"_Merci_, Élisabeth."

Lise smiled at him and brushed a stray strand of hair out of his eyes, which were as green as the leaves on the trees. Before she could stop herself, her hand had wandered from his hair to his cheek, cupping it gently. Maxi stared at her, but he did not stop her. She then pinched his cheek between her thumb and index finger.

"_Aïe_! What was that for!" he yelled, rubbing his cheek. He jumped up and chased her around the forest, Lise laughing. Lise ran around a tree and Maxi went to follow her, but she kept switching from side to side of the tree. Finally, they both came face to face with each other. Maxi's anger had cooled and he stared at her, seeming to bore into her very soul. Slowly, his hand came up and brushed her cheek, tracing the outline of her cheekbone. Lise giggled at the touch, the feeling of it tickling her. He tweaked her nose and smiled, backing away from her.

"For an unusually shy boy, you do not seem so shy around my daughter," a voice came from behind Maxi.

Lise froze when she saw the outline of her father behind Maxi. The young boy turned to look up into the eyes of J.J., whose expression was of amusement. Maxi's eyes immediately shot to the ground, refusing to look the philosopher in the eye.

"Élisabeth, come to me," J.J. said.

Lise sidled from behind the tree and walked to her father, who gripped her arm tightly. J.J. turned back to Maxi.

"Boy, I suggest you run home now," he said, his tone firm. Lise tugged at his arm.

"_Père_, he has no home. Can he not live with us?" she said, her eyes pleading with her father's.

"_Absolument non_! After what I have just witnessed with my eyes, I will not allow him to live with us," J.J. yelled. Maxi cringed, his eyes rising to Lise's. Hers were filling with tears for him. A great sadness welled up in Maxi and he turned, running off in the opposite direction. Lise turned to her father.

"How could you, Father! We were only playing," she screamed. J.J. looked to her, his anger building up.

"_Fille_, do not question me! For now, we will return home." With those words, he began walking off in the direction of their home. Lise followed him, but stopped when she noticed the small book on the ground. Maxi had forgotten it! She grabbed the book and hid it in the folds of her dress, making sure her father did not notice. Quietly, she followed him home.

Maxi had never felt so humiliated in his life! He had just been rebuked by a man he thought of as one of the greatest men who had inspired him. He had reached the Louis-le-Grand school when he realised that he had forgotten his book. He hoped that Lise had noticed it and retrieved it.  
Lise. Maxi could not get his mind off her. She was a really nice girl and a very pretty one at that, even for a ten year old child. He went into the school and sat on a bench, opening his journal to that day.

_January 1, 1770_  
_ I have had a strange day. I met the man who has inspired me with his works, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, but I have also met his daughter. Her name is Élisabeth, but I am to call her Lise. She is…extraordinary. She has a great sense of humor and she loves to have fun. She is also very pretty, a gem among females. I will spend more time with her to know her better._

_ Maxi_

Maxi closed his journal and set off for his friend's house. He would spend the night there and when it was time for the lesson, he would talk to her.

Lise lay in her bed, tears running down her cheeks. Her diary lay open in front of her, tearstains blotting the pages. The writing was still legible.

_ I met a boy today who shares a love for my father and Voltaire like I. His name is Maximilien, but I will call him Maxi. He is a very good person, but he does not have a home. He is an orphan, his mère died and his père left him and his siblings. He makes me feel ...happy inside. I should spend more time with him, provided Father allows me._

_ Lise_

Closing her diary, Lise put her pen in the inkwell and pulled the blankets over her body. She laid there, her eyes fluttering before they finally closed in sleep.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	5. Dreams

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

_Lise stood in the middle of a large, empty room. She was no longer the ten year-old girl, but a woman of twenty. She looked around; there had to be at least two hundred chairs in the chamber. She was confused._  
_ "Lise, ma chère femme*." A voice said from behind her. She turned to see Maxi, but he had grown up. He was dressed elegantly with a wig on his head covering his hair. Glasses rested on his face. With him was a little infant girl, about six months of age. _  
_ "Élisabeth, je vous aime*," Maxi said before giving her a soft kiss and placing the girl in her arms. _

Lise shot up in bed, her heart racing in her chest.

"What in hell was that!" she said. A dream where Maxi just called her 'my dear wife'! Surely something was wrong here, but she would deal with it tomorrow. Lise got up out of her bed and walked to the window, looking up at the full moon. The moon cast an eerie glow over the city of Paris, making Lise shiver. Just then a rock hit the side of her window and she looked down, seeing no one. Something sailed over her head and hit her floor with a soft thump. Perplexed, she walked over and picked it up. It was an apple and there was a note on it.

_Just in case you are hungry._  
_ Maxi_

Lise looked out the window again. She could barely make out Maxi's outline in the darkness. She held up the apple, glanced at it, then returned to him.

"An apple, Maxi? Is that how you plan to woo me over?" she said, a smile on her face. Although she could not see it, a blush stole over Maxi's face.

"No, I just wanted to return it to you. I think I left something back in the forest. Do you have it?" he asked.

Lise drew back from the window and picked the book up from her desk. She walked out of her room quietly so as to not disturb her parents as they slept. The first step on the staircase creaked loudly and Lise cursed inwardly. She skipped the next step, knowing it would creak as well. The last ten steps were quiet and Lise ran across the parlor to the front door, grabbing a candle as she did. She slowly opened the door, seeing Maxi's form in the darkness. He started towards her when he saw the light of the flame in the doorway. Maxi smiled when he saw her, but quickly turned away when he noticed she was clad in only her nightgown.

"Um…here is your book," Lise said, holding it out to him. Maxi quickly grabbed it and began to walk off, but Lise's soft voice stopped him.

"Why do you run away, Maxi?"

He turned to see her right behind him, her face nearly inches from his. Maxi felt his face grow warm from their closeness.

"I...uh…did not know I was running away," he said, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Lise frowned.

"You do not seem like yourself tonight. Are you alright?" she asked, her hand coming up and touching his cheek. A sigh escaped Maxi's lips and he leaned into her hand.

"I am just a little tired. It has been a long day for me, but I cannot sleep," he said.

Lise toyed with his hair, remembering the dream she had and she hoped that she would never have to see his beautiful brown hair covered by a wig. Daunted by her thoughts, Lise pulled her hand away and smiled.

"I guess I shall see you tomorrow then," she said, "Go and get some sleep, Maxi." With those words, Lise turned and walked back into her house, leaving Maxi standing outside. Maxi stood there for a minute before walking off in the direction of the school.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	6. The Innocence of Children

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Maxi sat at his seat in the study the next day, reading his book while the other boys were finishing their work. He had not seen Lise yet today and he could not wait for the lesson to be over. He kept glancing at the clock, hoping that the time would go by faster. The clock read 12:16, and then it hit 12:17. Maxi sighed, leaning his head forward into his book. It was going to be a long day.

Lise lay in a meadow of wildflowers that had managed to stay alive during the winter. The day was actually very warm, almost 75 degrees. She had taken off her woolen cloak and spread it over the wildflowers to make a blanket. She was wearing the new dress her mother had made her and she loved it. It was very comfortable and it fit her like a glove. Her eyes began to grow heavy under the glare of the sun before they closed and she slept.

It was finally 3:00 and Maxi was the first out of the room. He encountered Lise's brother Robbie in the parlor. He approached him without a shred of shyness.

"_Pardonnez-moi*_, do you know where Élisabeth is?" he asked.  
"_Oui_, I think she went to a garden south of here," Robbie answered, "Why do you ask?"  
Maxi stood there for a minute before replying. "I…I just want to see her."  
Robbie smiled. "Then go get her."  
The younger boy grinned and then he ran off to find Lise.

Lise lay dozing in the meadow. It had been almost three and a half hours since she came to the beautiful area. She was oblivious to everything going on in the vicinity, residing only in her mind. Lise still thought of the dream from the previous night, mulling it over in her mind and trying to decipher its meaning. Why would she dream of Maxi and her being husband and wife? Was the little girl her daughter? Maxi was a nice boy, but she did not like him enough to be with him intimately. Did she? All the questions boggled Lise and she turned her mind towards other matters. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not hear the soft footsteps coming her way, but she did notice when her cloak was pressed down as the weight of another body lay beside her. Lise opened her eyes to see her good friend Anne, or NeNe, lying beside her. NeNe cracked one eye open and smiled at the other girl.

"Hello Lise," she said.

"Hello NeNe," Lise replied, returning the smile and giving her friend a hug. NeNe lay back against the cloak, her golden hair spread underneath her.

"I heard what happened with Robbie yesterday," NeNe said, her tone filled with laughter. "I must say, you two are always causing trouble."

"It was Robbie's fault, not mine!" Lise laughed.

"That is not what my _mère _heard. Your _mère _also told mine that you also ran off with a boy yesterday. Is this true, Lisey?" NeNe had sat up, her expression eager for information.

"Well…uh…I would not say that I ran off with him. I was trying to escape my _père _since I had disobeyed him and left the house. Maxi was with me and I just grabbed him by instinct." Lise's face was red, her cheeks burning up.

"You're blushing, Lise," NeNe said. Lise covered her cheeks.

"No I am not."

"You are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Lise finally burst. "NeNe, just leave me alone for now, alright?"

NeNe shrugged. "Very well. I will see you around then, Lise. Take care." She got up and walked away, leaving Lise to ponder over her words.

"Lise!" Another voice yelled out and Lise turned to her right to see Maxi running to her. She laughed when he tripped over his own feet and tumbled into the grass, coming to a halt at the bottom of the hill where she lounged. Maxi jumped up and ran back up the hill to Lise's side, all rumpled and disgruntled.

"It seems that every time we meet, you always end up laughing at me," Maxi said. Lise patted his cheek.

"You are a funny boy, Maxi," she said, "How did you find me out here?"

"Your brother told me."

"Ah, I see. Robbie decided to betray me and lead you to me," she said, her voice filled with amusement. Maxi gave her a strange look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I specifically told Robbie to never tell you where I was under pain of death. I guess I should never entrust Robbie with anything anymore," she said, a slight smile on her face. Maxi looked sad.  
"Why would you say that?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

"I'm not sure. I suppose I just wanted a day to myself for a chance," she said. Maxi frowned and he stood.

"Very well, I shall leave you to yourself. Good day, Élisabeth," he said as he turned and began to walk away in the opposite direction. Lise jumped up and ran after him, jumping on his back. Maxi fell over and they rolled down the hill, entangled in one another. At the bottom, Maxi yelled and trapped Lise underneath him.

"You are a crazy girl, _oui_?"

Lise pushed at his chest, successfully pushing him off and trapping him underneath her. Maxi was shocked.

"I thought I came to bid you hello and I find myself underneath you," he mused, "Not that I mind, of course."

Lise giggled and smacked his chest. "You are too much, Monsieur Robespierre. You are so full of yourself."

Maxi grinned and grabbed her arms, keeping them at her sides.

"Perhaps, but it is not everyday that I spend time with such a lovely _fille_," he replied.

Lise froze, her face going bright red. She looked away for a minute and then returned her gaze to his.

"Do…do you really mean that, Maxi?"

Maxi hesitated for a minute before nodding his head. Lise laughed and threw her arms around him. He was stunned for a minute before his own arms wrapped around her. Lise pulled back for a moment to look in his face. She had never thought of it, but Maxi was a very handsome boy. Feelings she had never felt before raged inside her, demanding to be released. She remembered her dream and began to wonder if that was to be her fate.

"Are you alright?" Maxi's voice startled her and she remembered where she was.

"Yes, I believe I am." She was not sure if she was, but she could not let him worry.

Maxi's hand came up and he traced the outline of her cheekbone, much like he had yesterday. Lise giggled as it tickled her. He sat up with her still situated on him and stared her in the face.

"Um…Maxi? W-what are you staring at?" Lise said nervously, her eyes containing a hint of fear. Maxi tapped her lips with his finger, effectively silencing her before leaning in and placing a light kiss to her lips.

Lise was shocked at the action, but it was not unwelcome. Maxi did not know what he was doing, but he had seen his father and mother kiss and he was acting purely off memory. It was not long before Lise eventually responded to his kiss and leaned more into him, making him fall back so that he was lying on the ground once more. Maxi pulled away and stared into Lise's eyes before leaning forward to try and catch her lips again, but Lise pulled away.

"Maxi, please stop. I do not feel comfortable with this."

Lise rose and ran back up to her cloak, sitting upon it and watching as Maxi walked up to her and sat beside her. She drew her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hugging them to her tightly. Maxi glanced at her with a perplexed look before looking out over the meadow, the feeling of her lips against his fresh in his mind.

"Are you alright, Lise?" he asked, his tone concerned. Lise looked to him and nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I…I am not sure how I feel. I have this feeling inside me that burns when you are around, but…I do not know how to act on it," she said, letting her emotions out in her voice.

"You need to let those feelings out. It will make you feel better if you do," Maxi said. Lise gave him a look.

"If I let them out, I think I would scar you for the rest of your life," she said, a hint of a smile touching her lips. Maxi laughed heartily.

"I think I can manage, Lise. _Ma chère_, if you hold it back, it will only hurt you more."

Lise looked away and Maxi could tell that he was winning her trust.

"Lise, I know how you feel and I feel the same way. Please trust me."

Maxi should not have said those words. Lise jumped up, grabbing her cloak from underneath him and gave him a piercing glare.

"You are just like everyone else! You assume you know how I feel and you think that you can simply say you know how I feel and think 'Well, this will be a piece of cake to win her over on anything.' You do not know how I feel and I cannot even express how I feel. Good day to you, Maximilien."

Before he could say anything in his defense, Lise had run off.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	7. Forgiveness

**_Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years_**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

"She will not speak with you."

Maxi felt horrible when Lise's mother Rèse said those words.

"Did she at least say why?" he asked, his heart sinking.

Rèse shook her head. "You, young boy, seem to have made her very upset. Might I ask why?"

"She…she said something about me assuming that I knew about how she felt. She seemed very offended when I said it and I came by to apologize and beg her forgiveness."  
Maxi truly looked pathetic now, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Rèse felt sorry for him.

"Élisabeth! Come down here!" she called at the bottom of the stairs.

From above was the sound of light footsteps, a door opening and then Lise came down the stairs, her lips turned down into a frown.

"Yes, _mère_?"

Lise stopped when she saw Maxi. Almost immediately, she yelled at her mother.

"I told you to tell him that I did not want to see him!"

Rèse's brow lowered into a frown. "Lise, this young boy would like to apologize to you and this is how you treat him! At least let him speak!"

Lise relapsed into a sullen silence before mumbling something under her breath.

"What was that?" Rèse said.

"Very well, you may apologize," she said.

Maxi dipped into a bow before saying, "Lise, I am truly sorry that I hurt you. I did not mean it. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

At those words, Maxi fell before Lise and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles and then looking in her face. Lise bit her lip, contemplating his words and weighing them in her mind. Finally she nodded.

"Oh thank you Lise, _ma chère_!" Before Lise could do anything, Maxi had risen up to her eye level, grasped her cheeks and pulled her into a sweet kiss.

Lise struggled for a moment before relaxing in his grip, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rèse gasped, covering her mouth with her delicate hands. A moment passed before Maxi released Lise, his eyes opening to her own. He could tell that he had won her heart back over from the sparkling glint in her eyes. A smile stole over her features before she giggled and hugged him again. Maxi pulled out of her hug and held her at arm's length.

"I must go, _ma chère_. I shall see you tomorrow," he said, giving her a gentle peck on the forehead and walking out the door.

Lise turned to her mother, who still held her hands over her mouth. Rèse removed her hands and Lise saw that her mother had a wide smile on her lips.

"My _fille's _first love! Oh, it is so much like your father and I when we were young. He was so sweet to me and then we had you and Robbie and oh!"  
Rèse could not contain her happiness and she hugged Lise tightly to her bosom.

"I pray that you and that young boy are happy together."

"Who?"

Rèse and Lise turned to see J.J. standing in the doorway, looking quite regal in his elegant clothes. Rèse smiled and released Lise, walking to J.J. and embracing him.

"Your _fille _has her first love," Rèse beamed, her smile lighting up every corner of her face.

J.J. turned to Lise and gave her a soft smile.

"Ah, and who is the lucky boy to be graced with my _fille's _love?"

Lise blushed.  
"His name is Maximilien Robespierre. He is one of your _étudiants_, Father."

J.J.'s smile suddenly turned into a frown.

"The Robespierre boy? The one I saw you with in the Bois de Boulogne?" he asked.

Lise nodded. "_Oui_, Father. The very same one."

"I am surprised. That boy is so very shy, he never speaks a word during my lessons unless a question is given to him."  
Lise laughed at his comment. "He is not as shy as you think, _père_."  
Rèse butted in. "The Robespierre boy kissed your daughter in front of me. He is such a sweet boy."

J.J. laughed heartily. "Well, what do you know? The boy has it in him to pursue a woman. Very well, I will allow this, but be warned, Élisabeth. If that boy breaks your heart, he will answer to me. You are my _fille _and I do not want to see tears running down your cheeks that are caused by a boy. Also, tell me if that boy gives you any trouble, any at all."

Lise smiled and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Do not worry, _père_. He will not hurt me."

J.J. embraced his daughter. "I know he won't because I will kill him if he does."

Lise sat at her desk in her room, writing in her diary.

_January 2, 1770_

_It would seem that a change is coming upon me. I think I may be falling in love with Maxi. He is a very sweet boy and he stole my first kiss today. He also kissed me right in front of my mother. He takes my breath away. He may not be a knight in shining armor, but he is a very sensitive boy and he cares for me. Given time it could escalate into love and maybe marriage, I don't know._

_Lise_

With those last words written, Lise tucked herself into bed and fell asleep.

Maxi stayed up late with his sister Charlotte, watching over her as he wrote in his journal.

_January 2, 1770_

_I guess I should congratulate myself today for having Lise forgive me. I never thought it would be that easy (and hard) for her to forgive. I was also amazed that I managed to kiss her today. Twice, I should say. I know that I probably did not know what I was doing, but I do not think Lise minded. I thought I would be very shy and bashful during it, not bold and daring. I guess I do not know even myself that well. I should stop writing; Charlotte is waking up._

_Maxi_

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	8. Tuileries

**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

It was a sunny day on Saturday and Lise was the first one to enjoy it along with her brother. She and Robbie ran together playing while her mother and father lounged on little chairs in the garden. Lise snatched the hat off Robbie's head and ran off with it, Robbie hot on her trail. Just as it seemed that Lise would get away, Robbie stopped her by grabbing a lock of her hair.

"_Aïe_! Robbie!" Lise jumped on her brother and pounded on his back.

"Lise! _Soeur_!"

"You are so mean!" she shrieked, laughing as she said it.

Robbie pulled her off his back and held her by her hands, raising her off the ground and walking. Lise giggled and pulled at her hands, but to no avail. Robbie finally dropped her in the flowers, leaving her ruffled and disgruntled.

"Brother, you are an intensely mean thing," she said, standing and brushing off her petticoats.

J.J. laughed and Rèse giggled.

"Mind your brother, Élisabeth," she said.

Lise smiled and when her mother looked away, she punched Robbie in the arm.

"Lisey, you will never hurt me," he said, putting his hand on her head and ruffling her wavy brown locks.

"I only wish, Robbie," she said, punching him again.

"Oh, and your little friend is standing behind you," Robbie said, pointing behind her.

"Huh?"

Lise turned to see Maxi standing behind her, his hands clasped behind his back and his chest thrust out.

"Maxi!" she cried, throwing her arms around him and crushing him to her.

"Lise…let…go…can't…breathe…" he choked.

Lise let him go and he bent to catch his breath. When he could breathe again, he smiled.

"I can honestly say that is the first time you have ever been so happy to see me," he said, receiving a light punch in the arm from Lise.

"I am always happy to see you, Maxi," she giggled, hugging him once more, but with less force.

"Well well, look who showed up," a voice said from behind them.

Maxi, Lise and Robbie turned to see J.J. and Rèse standing behind them. Rèse came forward and enveloped Maxi in a warm hug.  
"Little boy, you are welcome here whenever you want," she said, giving him a light kiss to his forehead.

"_Merci_, Madame," he said.

J.J. also embraced Maxi, but as he did, he gripped him tightly.

"_Garçon_, listen to me and listen well. If you hurt my _fille _or break her heart, you will pay. I do not want to see so much as a single tear run down her cheek, do you understand?"  
Maxi nodded his understanding.

"_Oui_, Monsieur. I promise I will not hurt Élisabeth for as long as I live."  
J.J. nodded curtly, releasing Maxi. Maxi walked back over to Lise and took her hand.

"Shall we walk?" he asked.

Lise turned to her father.  
"May we?"

J.J. held up his hands.  
"I am not stopping you two from anything. Go and play," he said.

Both children smiled and walked off hand in hand. Rèse turned to J.J., her smile wide.

"You are doing the right thing, _ma chère_. Let those two follow their hearts. It is the best thing for them to do. Remember when you and I met?"

J.J. nodded.  
"You were such a pretty girl back then, and you still are, my dear Rèse," he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her.

Lise skipped down the cobbled streets of Paris with Maxi, her utter joy apparent in her step. The people they passed looked down on the children and smiled, seeing two little children together and holding hands. Maxi squeezed her hand, offering a grin.

"Do you not feel happy, Lise?" he asked.

"Of course, Maxi. How could you possibly say that?" she asked, giving him a strange look.

He shook his head. "Never mind. I did not mean to say it."

They had stopped in front of the Tuileries Palace. Lise gazed up at its splendor and she sighed.  
"I would love to live in a place like this," she said.

Maxi chuckled, touching her chin with his hand.  
"If I could, I would make it so," he said before kissing her forehead.

She shrugged. "We can walk in the gardens though."

"Yes…we can be alone there," he mused.

Lise led the way into the gardens, pulling Maxi behind her. The gardens were empty save for a couple or two. The two children weaved their way through the trees until Lise finally found the fountain that she and her friend NeNe used to go to all the time. She sat at the edge of the fountain, pulling Maxi down next to her.

"NeNe and I used to go here a lot. Do you not see the beauty here?" she asked, looking around the gardens.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and my eye does not see our surroundings," Maxi said.

Lise looked back at him only to see his eyes trained on her. She blushed underneath his impassive stare and covered her face with both hands. Maxi chuckled.

"Oh Lise, _ma chère_, you are so adorable," he said as he tried to pry her hands from her face.

"_Non_, do not look at me! I am not that special!" she squealed. Maxi could not contain his hearty laughter.

"_Ma chère_, you are special to me and you are special to your family. Now come out of your shell," he coaxed.

Lise slowly lowered her hands to meet Maxi's green eyes. He smiled at her, taking her hand and rising from the fountain's edge. "Come Lise. Let us walk."

The two children walked through the gardens hand in hand for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	9. All Good Things Come to an End

**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Later, Maxi and Lise stood in front of her house, embracing. The two children broke apart and smiled at each other.  
"I will see you soon, _ma chère_," he said, pecking her forehead.

"_Au revoir*_," Lise said. She opened the front door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Maxi walked away from the house.

Lise ran up to her bedchamber and looked out her window, watching the young boy as he walked away. Before he turned the corner of the street, he turned and looked back at her house. She gasped and threw herself away from the window, hoping he hadn't seen her watching him.  
Maxi could have sworn he saw Lise watching him from her window, but he shook his head and walked away.

Lise sat at the table absentmindedly poking her bread. Her parents noticed this and J.J. decided to speak.

"Élisabeth, your mother and I have decided to send you off to school to learn music."

Lise' head shot up from her pickings and her eyes widened. "School? B-but why?"

"Well, we decided that since you love to sing so much, we would send you to school to improve on your singing voice. Maybe when you are older, you will become an opera singer," Rèse said, her aging face breaking out into a smile. "You have such a beautiful voice. It would be a shame if you did not exploit your talent and put it to use as a singer."

"But….what about Maxi?" Lise whispered, her voice becoming choked with tears. J.J. and Rèse looked to each other, sensing their daughter's sadness before J.J. finally spoke.

"You will not be able to see him for a while. I'm sorry Élisabeth."

Lise jumped out of her chair. "This is not fair! Why should I not be able to see him while I am in school? I don't want to go!"

J.J. frowned. "Élisabeth, sit down and eat your supper."

She looked him square in the eye and said plainly. "No."

"Now, Élisabeth!"

"No!"

Lise pushed her chair back and ran up to her chamber, slamming the door shut and throwing herself onto her bed. The door opened and Rèse stepped in, closing the door behind her. Lise did not acknowledge her until she sat on the side of the bed and placed her hand on top of her daughter's head.

"Mother, it's not fair! I don't want to leave Maxi behind…."

"Dearest, I know. It's hard to leave someone you care about, but it has to happen sometime. Maybe it will be good for you to be apart for a little while. He will miss you and you will miss him, so when you two see each other again, it is so much more special," Rèse said, stroking Lise' curly locks. Lise lifted her head to look at her mother, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"I hope so, Mother. Maybe I will be able to see him even when I am in school," she said, wiping her tears away.

"That's the spirit, my dear. Now, get ready for bed," Rèse said as she kissed her daughter's forehead, got up and left the room.

_January 4, 1770_

_Is this infatuation? After all, I am but a ten year old girl, not old enough to understand love. Maxi is a very sweet boy, but I do not think that I have fallen in love….yet. This dream that I had, is it a vision of the future, or just a product of my girlish fantasies? I do not have time to think on this. Father is planning on sending me to school tomorrow, meaning that I will not be able to see Maxi. When he told me this, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. These past few days with Maxi have been glorious, but all good things must come to an end…I will miss him._

_Lise_

_January 4, 1770_

_I already miss Lise….._

_Maxi_

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	10. The Voice of God?

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Lise stood as one of only four girls who had been sent to the _Académie royale de Musique_, or the Paris Opera. She fidgeted nervously, wishing to be anywhere but here. The teacher Madame de Beaufort stood before the four girls, slapping a ruler in her hand.

"There will be no horseplay or playing around. Anyone caught doing so will be punished. I expect you to be here on time and ready to learn. Any questions?"

Dead silence pervaded the room and Madame de Beaufort nodded.  
"Let's begin."

Where was Lise?

Maxi had gotten to her home early to see her before his lesson only to not find her there. Where was she? He walked into the kitchen and found Rèse scrubbing a pot diligently.

"_Pardonnez-moi_, do you know where Élisabeth is?"

Rèse turned to face the young boy, her eyes turning down into a frown.

"_Je suis désolé_*, but she is at school. She is learning to perfect her singing voice," Rèse said.

"What? She never said anything about it to me…" Maxi said, his face sinking into a deep frown.

"Well…it was a bit of a last minute thing," Rèse said, "but if you'd like to see her very quickly, she is at the _Académie royale de Musique_. I'm sure she would be most delighted to see you, maybe she will sing for you."

"But, what about Monsieur Rousseau's lesson?" Maxi said, his eyes shifting from side to side as if he were about to tell the older woman a great secret. Rèse smiled slyly.  
"It'll be our little secret. I'll tell him that you are sick for today."

Maxi hesitated for a minute before a wide smile broke over his face and he hugged the woman quickly before running out the door. Rèse giggled a little at his eagerness and went back to scrubbing her pot.

The other three girls had been dismissed, but Madame de Beaufort kept Lise behind. As the young child stood before the teacher's desk, Madame de Beaufort circled her.  
"My dear, do you know why I kept you and let them go?"

Lise shook her head quickly, her face filling with heat and her eyes threatening to overflow. Did she do something wrong? Was she not good enough? The other girls sounded lovely, so lovely that Lise felt that they were better than she could ever hope to be.

The older woman chuckled, her voice deep and low. "I kept you because you have great potential. Those three girls have been dismissed permanently because I only take one girl to teach."  
Lise' heart jumped. Did this mean that she would learn to perfect her voice?

Madame de Beaufort walked to the piano and sat down, letting her graceful hands play a glissando. "Let us begin. Scales!"

Maxi approached the music school, amazed at its splendor. He walked briskly through the large gilded doors and began his search for Lise. In one room was the sound of a violin. He looked in, but no Lise. The room opposite it had the sounds of a flute coming from it. He looked, no Lise. He walked further down the corridor, listening for a voice. He heard a male baritone singing, and then accompanying it was a female soprano. He looked in, but the female was not Lise. He was ready to tear his hair out.

Where was she!

Further down the corridor, he heard a piano playing and a beautiful soprano voice singing scales. That had to be her! He ran all the way down to the last room at the end of the corridor and looked through the doorway.

There she was.

Maxi couldn't believe the sounds coming from her throat. It sounded like an angel's voice, like the voice of God had come down and was now singing through this girl. Her eyes were closed and she had her arms spread and her hands facing with her palm up, as if she were offering herself to God himself. The tall woman seated at the piano was watching the young girl as she sang, her hands flying across the piano keys. He stepped through the door.

Lise slowly opened her eyes as the last note faded and she noticed Maxi standing in the doorway, his face slack with adoration. A heavy blush settled in her cheeks as her hands began fidgeting. The teacher noticed this and turned to see the young boy standing in the doorway, a stern look in her eyes.

"Young man, I demand to know why you are here! I am teaching a lesson here!" she screeched.

"Please Madame, he is a friend of mine. Don't turn him away!" Lise begged, leaning over the piano to her teacher. The woman looked at the girl for a minute, contemplating her plea before finally nodding.

"Be warned Élisabeth. If he disturbs our lesson or distracts you, he will be thrown out."

Lise nodded her head quickly, throwing a smile Maxi's way. The teacher motioned for Maxi to sit at a chair just behind Lise so that she could not see him. As he passed Lise, he quickly pecked her on the cheek, eliciting a giggle from the girl.

"Now Élisabeth, I want you to sing Sanctus. Do you feel that you can do it _acappella_?"

Lise nodded. The teacher ran her hands over the keys before pressing the keys for the first notes of the hymn. Lise took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting her lungs expand and contract. The teacher raised her hands as a conductor would and as they began moving, Lise began singing.

_"Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus. Dominus deus sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini_."

Lise' voice went up and down the scale, hitting the low notes and the high notes with ease. When she hit the _gloria tua_, her voice rose high to a C above the scale, the note ringing throughout the room. Some people had come out of the other rooms to listen to her sing. When she finished, there was a silence that seemed interminable. Finally people began clapping, shouts of "_magnifique_", and cheering were heard. Maxi got up as if in slow motion and walked toward Lise, his eyes trained on her. She turned only to be caught up in a tight embrace, his hair tickling her nose. He released her from his arms only to kiss her gently on the lips, an innocent kiss. Lise allowed him and the two children hugged until the teacher finally broke it apart.

"Everyone out! Élisabeth, you are splendid! Tomorrow we will move into _chansons _and then we will see about you becoming an opera singer," Madame de Beaufort said, her cheeks red.

Lise gasped and threw her arms around the older woman. "Oh _merci_, Madame Beaufort!" Madame de Beaufort laughed and pried the little girl off of her.

"Go and play, child. The rest of the day is yours."

It was already 3 in the afternoon so Lise and Maxi went back to her home. J.J. was not surprised to see the two children together.

"_Fille_, did Maximilien spend the day with you again?" he asked, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Maxi flushed red when Lise nodded. "Ah, then your mother tried to save him from me. She will need some scolding tonight." J.J.'s tone indicated that he was going to be doing more than scolding Rèse that night.

Maxi stayed for supper that night. He and Lise spent the entire supper throwing glances at each other and kicking each other's feet under the table. Such is the innocence of children.

When Maxi had to leave, he embraced Lise and kissed her forehead. "I shall see you again soon, _ma chère_," he murmured against her forehead, planting another kiss before squeezing her shoulders lightly and letting go. Lise watched him as he disappeared into the early evening.

Later when it was darker, Lise stood at her window looking out into the streets of Paris. Sometimes she wished that she would be looking at meadows and fields instead of houses and cobbled streets. She looked out the window for a few more minutes, her thoughts turning to Maxi and the future. It had only been five days, but it felt like it had been longer than that. Maxi was becoming such a familiar soul to her. Her fondness for him grew with every passing day. What was she getting into? She turned away from the window and sat on her bed, opening her diary to the next entry.

_January 5, 1770_

_It was a success in singing. Madame de Beaufort chose me out of four girls to teach. I guess that's something in her book. Maxi was surprised that I could sing so well, but he has never heard me sing, so it is not unexpected. This evening, I found myself thinking of the future. What if Maxi and I are meant for each other? What if we are destined to be together and become husband and wife? I know it is too early to think of these things, considering that we just met, but it is something that has been on my mind. Perhaps it is the product of my girlish fantasies….but…he cannot read this, so this is where it will remain safe. I think I love him…._

_Lise_

Maxi lay in his bed, looking at the ceiling. He wondered what Lise was doing. More than likely she was probably going to bed. His journal lay open. He never called it a diary, only a journal. A page was freshly inked, writing out his thoughts of the day.

_January 5, 1770_

_Lise is an angel. Her voice was so beautiful that I felt like my heart had stopped at the sound. All those people cheering her on, I can almost see her being a great opera singer. I would be her most faithful patron. I would give anything to have her sing for me. I feel like I am falling in love with her, but I do not want to give in to it yet, knowing what had happened in Arras only a year ago when that girl Anaïs had kissed me and said she wanted to marry me. I did like her, but then she just left me for someone else. It hurt, but Lise is not Anaïs. Lise is so much different from her. I can't wait to see her again…_

_Maxi_

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	11. The New Soprano

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

After singing the _Kyrie Eleison _and _Benedictus_, Lise was introduced to the owner of the Paris Opera House, Monsieur Lafayette. Unfortunately, Maxi could not be there to see her because J.J. had made sure that the young boy attended the lesson that the philosopher was teaching that day. Nearly a week had passed since Lise had first started her singing lessons and the two children saw each other every other day. It didn't feel enough to them, so they tried to see each other every day, but unfortunately they had their things to do. After studying under her father, Maxi was going to be going back to Louis-le-Grand for the rest of his studying to become a lawyer.

"Mademoiselle Rousseau, Madame de Beaufort here tells me that you have been performing extraordinarily this past week." Lafayette boomed, his mouth breaking into a wide smile as he looked down at the young girl.

Lise blushed and looked down at the floor. She felt embarrassed and just a little shy.

"_Oui_, monsieur."

The man smiled at her. "I would love to have you in the Paris Opera House. Usually we would only allow a girl of fourteen to enter, but since Madame de Beaufort has vouched for your ability, I'm willing to make an exception."

Lise brightened up when he said this, her eyes shooting up to his. "Oh thank you Monsieur!"

Lafayette led her to the stage, setting her to stand in the middle and face the many chairs in front of it.

"My dear, we are actually getting our cast ready to perform _Proserpine_. Our former lead soprano walked out, so we have no one as our lead soprano. I want to audition you for the role of the lead female. We will have you sing _'Ma chere liberté'_ in which Proserpine is found lamenting her loss of freedom after being kidnapped by Pluto."

Lafayette motioned to the conductor, Monsieur Lefevre, to start playing the piano. As the first notes of the aria sounded through the vast hall, Lafayette began to conduct Lise through the notes. Madame de Beaufort gave her a script. Lise looked down at it, looked at Lafayette, then began her aria.

Maxi ran to the Paris Opera as fast as he could, hoping to catch Lise there before she left. He heard a piano playing softly in the distance and a voice singing. It was there that he ran and as he went through the great double doors, he beheld a wondrous sight.

Lise stood there on the stage of the theatre, singing an aria.

_"Ma chere liberté que vous aviez d' attraits ! En vous perdant, helas ! Que mon ame est atteinte de douleur, de trouble, et de crainte ! Ma chere liberté que vous aviez d' attraits ! Faut-il vous perdre pour jamais ? Ombres que j' interromps, souffrez ma triste plainte, ce n' est pas pour mon coeur que vos plaisirs sont faits."*_

Maxi stood there in awe, watching this girl sing her heart out. Her hands were outstretched with her palms up much like the first time he had seen her sing.  
He couldn't believe that Lise could sing so beautifully.

The man at the piano stopped playing and the conductor stopped as well. Lise immediately ducked her head, a heavy blush spreading over her cheeks. Silence reigned in the room before the conductor began clapping.

"_Brava_! _Magnifique_! That was beautiful, Mademoiselle Rousseau. My choice is made. I want you to be our new female lead!"

Lise was stupefied. Maxi thought she was going to topple over at any minute.

She did.

Maxi watched her as if in slow motion and before he even knew what was happening, he was running to her side. He was halfway onto the stage when she hit the ground.

"Lise!"

Madame de Beaufort laughed.

"Young man, this is the fourth time that I've seen you here-"

She stopped upon seeing Maxi kneeling beside Lise and holding her in his arms. She watched as he moved her bangs out of her face and kissed her forehead tenderly. Madame de Beaufort approached him slowly, touching his shoulder.

"She's alright, just fainted from shock," she said, giving him the best sympathetic smile she could muster.

It was at that moment that Lise came to, shaking her head to clear it.

"Maxi!"

He was tackled to the floor when Lise jumped at him, hugging him with all the strength she had.

"Lise! Air! Air!" Maxi managed to choke out before she let him go, her blush returning. He straightened himself out as Lafayette approached them.

"Mademoiselle Rousseau, I apologize if I stunned you for a moment, but do you still want to become our lead female?"

Lise nodded her head yes and Lafayette smiled.

"Splendid! We shall start rehearsals as soon as possible!"

Lise had returned home with Maxi beside her to tell her father the good news. When J.J. and Rèse heard, the house erupted in celebration. Rèse embraced her daughter and showered her face with kisses as J.J. swept her up into his arms. Robbie smacked her on the back and hugged her and Maxi kissed her.

"I think a celebration is in order. For the success of my _fille_!" J.J. announced over supper.

"Élisabeth, your father has planned to hold a dinner ball for you. You should feel proud," Rèse said as she speared a piece of pork.

Maxi smiled at Lise as he bit into his cheese. Lise however did not look happy.

"Papa, would it not be modest though? After all, we are not wealthy. How will we be able to pay for this?"

J.J. glanced at his daughter, his smile turning sly. "You just leave it to me, Élisabeth."

_January 13, 1770_

_I am now the new female lead at the Paris Opera House. My father was so proud of me that he is going to be hosting a ball in honor of my achievement, but I keep worrying that it will plunge him into debt. I don't want to be the cause of my father's poverty. If it comes to it, I will use what earnings I get from singing to help him. I love my papa and I do not want to see him suffer for me. Nor do I wish that for Maxi either._

_Lise_

Lise sat at her bed after signing her name in her diary, reading over the freshly inked page. Her mind just would not stop worrying. What if her father did go into debt? What if he couldn't make any money for himself? She did not want that for her father. Tomorrow she would convince him not to have the ball.

A light tap sounded from her window. Did someone throw a rock at her window? She got up from her bed and opened the window, looking out into the dark streets of Paris. Down at the bottom stood Maxi, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight.

"Lise!"

"Maxi! What're you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Lise looked at the clock which read fifteen minutes past ten.

"I….just wanted to see you, _ma chère_."

Lise smiled down at him. "I'll be down in a moment."

She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it over her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. Truth be told she was supposed to be asleep, but she stayed up late without her parents knowing. She opened the door to her bedroom quietly and snuck out into the hallway, going down the stairs and skipping the ones that creaked. She slowly opened the door and slipped out. Once the door was shut, she threw herself into Maxi's arms.

"_Ma chère_, I have been waiting for the moment when we would be utterly alone," he murmured as he kissed her gently, then deeper. Lise wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. When Maxi broke the kiss, Lise noticed his eyes were filling with tears.

"_Mon coeur_*, what is the matter?" she asked, kissing his lips softly.

"I…I must return to Louis-le-Grand. My summons came to me today, I did not want to tell you just yet because I was afraid you would be upset-"

Maxi didn't get to finish his sentence because Lise kissed him again, pressing her lips against his own incredibly soft lips.

"Maxi, I am not upset. Even if you must go away for a while, we can still write to each other and see each other when we can," she said, stroking his cheek. Maxi smiled at her words.  
"Indeed. I am always allowed to leave on _Samedi_* and _Dimanche_*."

Lise smiled at that before kissing him once more. "It will not be all bad, _ma chère_."

Maxi took her hand and kissed it. "Lise, I would not leave you willingly. I will miss you over these days, but know that I will write to you every day!"

"And I you." She hugged him tightly, sighing with content.

Maxi pulled away from her so that he held her at arm's length, looking into the face that haunted his thoughts and his dreams. He kissed her again gently. Lise ran her hands through his brown hair, stroking the soft strands and curling them around her fingers. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, his breath coming heavy in his chest.

"Farewell Élisabeth," he murmured against her forehead.

"Farewell Maximilien."

He kissed her forehead and ran his hand over her cheek before turning and walking off into the darkness, leaving Lise behind. She gathered her cloak around her, silent tears running down her cheeks. Even though Maxi was just going back to his school, it felt like he was leaving her forever. He was going to write to her every day, he said. She knew he would. Lise turned to go back into her house, closing the door behind her and locking it before going upstairs and into bed.

_January 13, 1770_

_It hurt to tell Lise that I was going back to Louis-le-Grand. I promised her that I would write to her every day, and I intend to keep that promise as well as see her Samedi and Dimanche. She deserves that at least. All I know is that once I graduate from Louis-le-Grand, I will ask her father for her hand._

_Maxi_

* * *

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	12. Letters and Proserpine's Love

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

_February 18, 1770_

_Lise, ma chère, _

_The days go by agonizingly slow. It has been nearly three weeks since I have seen you…and I miss you. It's very dull here without your smiling face. I have made a new friend, Camille Desmoulins. Hopefully with his friendship, the pain of not seeing you will be lessened. Ma chère, I cannot wait for the day that I can see you again._

_Yours always,_  
_Maxi_

_February 20, 1770_

_Maxi, mon coeur!_

_I was so happy when your letter reached me! I miss you so much. I have wonderful news. The play that the Paris Opera is putting on, _Proserpine_, I am to be playing the lead role of Proserpine. It is in May that it will be performed. I would be happy if you could come. _

_Always yours,_  
_Lise_

_March 5, 1770_

_Lise,_

_I would be delighted to come and see you sing. Ma chère, your singing is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in the world. I await the lusty month of May with bated breath._

_Maxi_

_March 8, 1770_

_My dearest Maxi,_

_It will be a day to remember. My voice sings only for you. I want to see you. If you can, meet me at the Tuileries palace Samedi at nine in the evening. I will wait for you there. Until your next letter._

_Yours always,_  
_Lise_

_March 20, 1770_

_My dear Lise,_

_It was wonderful to see you again. You grow more beautiful as the days go by. Studying law is harder than I thought. I find myself constantly busy with my schoolwork and barely any time for play. Almost everyone calls me a "prig" or a "goody goody" for not playing and staying to my work. Why must others be so cruel? Nevertheless, your smiling face keeps me going, knowing that when I complete my years, I may be able to be with you again._

_Your loving boy,_  
_Maxi_

_April 12, 1770_

_Dearest Maxi,_

_As the days go by, I find myself becoming increasingly busy with rehearsals for the opera. Monsieur Lafayette keeps pushing us harder and harder. I have never felt so tired in my life and my throat burns slightly from overdoing my high notes. But I push onwards, knowing that I will sing for the first time to the public. Me, a plain ten-year-old fille…I cannot wait to see you there._

_Yours always,_  
_Lise_

_April 28, 1770_

_Lise,_

_Only a few more days and I will be able to see you. My anniversaire* is May 6, so I will have a free day. I want to spend it with you, ma chère. Until then._

_Your loving boy,_  
_Maxi_

_May 1, 1770_

_Dearest Maxi,_

_The opera opens on that day. Would that be a perfect anniversaire gift? After it is over, we will have the rest of the time to ourselves._

_Yours always,_  
_Lise_

It was May 6 when Maxi and Lise saw each other again. The two children hugged each other and Lise gave him a birthday kiss.

"_Joyeux anniversaire_, Maxi!"

The Rousseaus had decided to throw Maxi a party and for once in his life, Maxi felt at home with Lise' family. Rèse presented him with a brand new coat made of silky blue cloth.

"For the opera," she said, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Robbie had given him a basket of fruit, filled with apples, oranges, peaches, bananas and strawberries. J.J. gave the boy a personally written copy of _The Social Contract_, which Maxi adored. When it came to Lise, she merely smiled and said his gift would come later.

And it did indeed.

Almost three hours after his party, Maxi was seated in the front row of the Paris Opera with the Rousseaus, waiting for the opera to begin. He watched the orchestra seat themselves and place their music on their stands as they got out their instruments and began tuning. J.J. leaned over to him.

"The opera's starting, boy."

Maxi watched as the curtains opened and the light appeared on women who were chained to rocks. They began singing and Maxi's eyes began to flutter shut until about an hour later, Lise finally appeared on the stage. His eyes shot open at the sight of her.

Lise was dressed in a shimmering white dress that rippled with her every movement. A crown of flowers adorned her chestnut curls which hung freely around her face and her bangs still covered her forehead. When the woman who played the part of the goddess Ceres spoke to her, Lise began singing.

When Lise began to sing, it seemed that everyone in the audience straightened in their seats. Maxi looked to J.J., who seemed to be beaming with pride. Lise truly was his jewel.

The opera went on until Maxi found himself looking at Lise in a different light. It was when Proserpine was in the Underworld, lamenting her loss of freedom.

_"Ma chere liberté que vous aviez d' attraits ! En vous perdant, helas ! Que mon ame est atteinte de douleur, de trouble, et de crainte ! Ma chere liberté que vous aviez d' attraits ! Faut-il vous perdre pour jamais ? Ombres que j' interromps, souffrez ma triste plainte, ce n' est pas pour mon coeur que vos plaisirs sont faits."_

The man playing the part of Ascalaphe comforted her as she sang, but then her song to Pluto changed that. Pluto did not release her even with her heartmoving song. What Maxi noticed was that the part of Pluto was played by a sixteen year old boy. He didn't like the way he was looking at Lise and when he kissed her, Maxi felt jealousy burn white hot through him.

The opera finally ended when the entire cast came onto the stage and bowed. They did it in pairs though as the women from the first act came first, then cast from the second and so on. The last people to come back on stage were Lise and the boy who played Pluto. The boy spun Lise around in a circle and caught her in his arms, kissing her cheek and lifting her bridal style in his arms as they waved to the audience.

Maxi wanted so much to punch him.

But that was quickly dashed as Lise ran off the stage and into his arms, kissing him hard. Maxi was so surprised that he fell over so that Lise fell on top of him. She broke the kiss and gave him a wide smile.

"_Joyeux anniversaire, _Maxi!"

Maxi smiled and hugged her back, noticing the boy on stage. The boy looked positively furious, his face bright red. Without a word, he turned and walked off the stage. Maxi smiled inwardly, feeling self-satisfied.

Later that day, Lise and Maxi were sitting together at the fountain in the Tuileries gardens. It was almost seven in the evening, but the sun was just setting, casting a golden glow over the water. The two children had their hands intertwined with Lise settling against Maxi, her head resting lightly on his chest and her hair tickling his chin.

During their time at the Tuileries, Lise had had a multitude of young boys come up to her and praise her for her performance. During this, Maxi had sulked in the background, his face bright red and his hands shaking with rage. His rage was dispelled when Lise squeezed his hand in a tender gesture.

When they had finally been left alone, they had walked to a section of the garden where beautiful flowers bloomed. Maxi had plucked a dark red rose and placed it in Lise' curly locks. Their last stop had been at the fountain and it was there that the two children spent the last hour of their time.

Lise lifted her head from Maxi's chest and faced him, blue eyes meeting green. She kissed him gently.

"Maxi, I hope your _anniversaire_ was a good one."

"It was the best that I have ever had," he said, kissing her again.

Before he could kiss her again, Lise stopped him.

"Maxi, what am I to you?"

Maxi stopped for a second and smiled at her.

"Lise, in the short time that I have known you, you have made me happier than I have ever felt since my mother died. I said before that I would not willingly leave you, and I hold true to that. The only thing that is between us is my studies. Once those are finished and I graduate, I..."

Maxi trailed off. He had almost told Lise what he had sworn he would not tell her until a few years had passed, but she was looking at him with an expectant look on her face. It was out there, so he might as well finish it.

"I want to ask your father for your hand."

Lise stopped breathing. It felt like her heart had stopped. Had Maxi actually admitted this?

"Y-you want to marry..._me?_"

Maxi nodded slowly.

"I thought that after the incident in Arras with a girl, I would never marry. You have changed this however. You make everything I believe in crumble to nothing. Life would be dull without you, which is why I want to be with you."

Lise' face blushed bright red and she turned away. A lone tear slid down her cheek. Maxi noticed this.

"Lise, _ma chère, _please don't cry..."

Lise turned back to him, a smile wide on her face. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly. It was then that Maxi realized that her tears were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy.

"Maxi, I would say yes to you," she said.

He beamed and pulled away long enough to press a kiss to her forehead. The two children sat there for a little while until Maxi rose and took Lise' hand.

"Come, let's go home."

_May 6, 1770_

_Maxi told me he wants to marry me! I never thought that he would tell me this, or even think it. After all, I am but a plain girl. What is it that he sees in me? Nevermind this, Maxi said he wants to marry me!_

_Lise_

_May 6, 1770_

_I guess I am not good at keeping secrets. Lise now knows that I want to marry her, but honestly, I'm happy that she knows. Now that she knows, our relationship could progress from being adorers to a betrothed couple. Even if we are young, it is not uncommon for children our age to be betrothed. Thinking on other things, that boy who played the role of Pluto in the opera today made me angry just by seeing him kiss Lise. I have never given myself over to jealousy, but it burned when I saw him kiss her. Even if it is acting, it still gets to me. Lise, ma chère, forgive me for thinking such thoughts. You would probably laugh at me with that bubbly laugh and say that I am silly. My feelings for her will never change. Lise, ma chère, I believe I am in love with you. I cannot wait for the day when you will become Élisabeth Robespierre, wife of Maximilien Robespierre. My life will be complete when that happens._

_Maxi_

* * *

_A/N: Maximilien Robespierre was indeed a jealous man, so I decided to bring out that aspect of him. Also in the thoughts of Maxi about marriage, they are still young and children do that, but in Maxi's case, he is mature for his age and he knows what he is doing._

_"You don't understand, Madame. But then again, the whore of Robespierre wouldn't know much in any case."- Jean-Paul Marat in response to Élisabeth Robespierre_

_"The deaths of thousands is not a purifying act; it is an act of murder! All because of his hatred for what the people did to him."- Élisabeth Robespierre in response to Jean-Paul Marat's paper_

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	13. Survival

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Love would come at a cost, Maxi realized as he sat at his desk at the Louis-le-Grand school. The abbè was rambling on again and Maxi did not want to listen to the man's monotone voice preaching about God. Instead he thought on what he had told Lise nearly two and a half weeks ago. Soon it would be her _anniversaire_. She would be turning eleven.

Marrying Lise would inevitably put him in good favor with J.J., whom he saw as a god and revered, but he didn't want to marry her just because of that. She was like the lost part of him, that part of him that had died when his mother Jacqueline had died. He remembered when his mother used to sing him to sleep on nights when he could not sleep or was ill. He knew that if Lise married him, she would be caring for him quite a bit because of his weak immune system. Surely there wouldn't be any downsides to marrying her, would there?

He would inform her father of his intent on her birthday, he decided. Better to let them know now than years later when they expressed their intent to marry.

_'Lise...I love you.'_

It was not uncommon for children their age to court each other. By God, King Louis XV had been betrothed to a girl who had only been three years old when he had been eleven years of age. Now he was married along with a mistress, Madame du Barry.

Lately, Maxi had taken to the habit of coming to Lise' home in the night and spending time with her since they could not see each other during the day due to his studies and her rehearsals. Maxi did not mind however. Nighttime seemed to bring more beauty to his female companion.

The abbè was still speaking. Maxi pushed his spectacles up his nose and continued writing.

_"Ah, la vue trop douce et trop amère! _  
_Ainsi, alors, par l'excès d'amour vous me perdez ? _  
_Et je, malheureux, perds _  
_le pouvoir davantage pour apprécier _  
_prenez ou la vie et perdez-vous aussi, _  
_O mon mari, plus précieux que tous d'autre."_

Lise' voice rang out in the opera hall as she finished her solo as Eurydice, wife of Orpheus in the rehearsal for the opera _L'Orfeo_ by Monteverdi. The lead male role for Orpheus, a boy by the name of Léon, sang back to her.

_"Où allez-vous, ma vie ? Voir que je vous suis! _  
_Mais qui me prévient, hélas ? Rêve-je ou délirant ? _  
_Quel pouvoir occulte parmi ces horreurs _  
_me tire contre ma volonté _  
_de ces horreurs j'aime et me mène _  
_à la lumière détestable ?"_

His rich baritone sounded through the hall. A few dancers sighed dreamily, but Lise took no notice. She was more focused on finishing rehearsal and getting home to prepare to see her beloved.

It seemed almost forever, but rehearsal was finally over and Lise tried to leave the stage, but Léon grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait. May I speak to you?"

He was such a gentleman, how could she refuse him? She allowed Léon to lead her away from the other actors into the dressing rooms of the opera house. Her conscience was tugging at her, trying to tell her that it was a bad idea, that it had a bad feeling about Léon. She ignored it. What could he possibly do?

She should have listened to her conscience. She had shut the door and turned to face him when he threw her up against the door and pulled a knife out of his tunic, brandishing it before her.

"Because of you, my beloved Éléonore was kicked out of the opera. Your death will bring her back as the leading soprano!"

He stabbed at her, but Lise managed to dodge the sharp blade. She screamed, a shrill scream of terror that reverberated off the walls. He came at her again, but Lise stamped his foot and as he held his foot in pain, Lise ran for the door and threw it open. She screamed again as she ran for the stage, hoping that someone would hear her. She heard shouts in the distance and felt relief flood through her, knowing that she was safe. She had stopped, which had been a bad idea.

A sharp pain unlike any Lise had ever felt before erupted in her side. She froze for a second before turning her head to look down. Léon's knife was embedded in her side and she could see bright red blood staining the side of her dress. A small whimper escaped her lips as she fell to the floor, feeling weak and lightheaded from the blood loss. Léon stood over her, his knife shining with blood, her blood.

"This is the end for you."

He straddled her prone form and raised his knife for the kill, but his hand was grabbed tightly by a larger hand. Léon looked up to see J.J., who had come to get his daughter from rehearsal only to hear her scream. J.J. had found the two in a hall leading to the stage, the boy straddling his daughter and holding a knife stained in blood. His blood ran cold and he felt unmentionable anger and hatred. He wanted to kill the boy for doing this to his daughter.

"Papa..." Lise croaked before she lost consciousness.

J.J. looked to his daughter, her already pale skin growing paler. His heart stopped and he squeezed the boy's hand hard, causing him to drop the knife mere inches away from Lise' arm.

"Help here!"

Lafayette and the conductor ran to his aid, looking upon the scene. Lafayette gasped, running to Lise' aid.

"_Non,_ do not move her! Take care of this ingrate and leave her to me," J.J. said, tossing Léon to the side roughly as the conductor grabbed a length of rope and tied the boy's hands together. J.J. looked back to his daughter, his heart clenching. What if Lise died? He couldn't lose his daughter, not when she had just found her calling in life.

He tore a strip of cloth away from a costume and used it to bind her wound before picking her up and carrying her back to their home.

"Élisabeth!" Rése screamed when she saw her daughter in the arms of her husband. She tore her out of his arms and held her to her breast, tears spilling down her cheeks in rivers.

"Élisabeth, my beautiful, beautiful daughter. Please don't die. Please don't die!"

A crowd had gathered around the couple, some people gasping upon seeing the young girl and her bloodstained dress. Whispers of "poor dear" were heard among the peasants, heads were shaking and a few women cried upon seeing the anguish that Rése felt for her daughter.

"Thérèse, we need to get her inside and call a doctor. We can still save her," J.J. said, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Together the two parents carried their daughter up to her room and laid her down in her bed. J.J. went to get the doctor and Rése cleaned Lise' wound as best as she could. Rése couldn't stand to see her daughter's skin turn a pasty white. It wasn't normal! She threw herself upon her daughter and wailed loudly.

Maxi's studies were finished for the day and he was walking to the Rousseau house when he overheard a group of men talking.

"Did you hear about the daughter of Rousseau?"

"Poor child was stabbed. My wife saw her mother crying over her. The girl's dress was bloody on the left side."

"I hope she survives. She has a beautiful voice."

Maxi's heart stopped. Lise had been stabbed! He quickened his pace until he was almost sprinting for the Rousseau house. He felt relief when he turned the corner of the street and saw it. He ran up to it and threw the door open.

"Lise!"

He heard nothing but the wails of Rése coming from upstairs. He ran up the stairs and slammed open the door to Lise' room. Three pairs of eyes fixed upon him, none of them were Lise'. He looked to the bed and saw Lise there, her eyes closed and her skin pasty white.

"Lise..."

J.J. stepped towards him.

"Maximilien, I think it's best if you leave the room. I don't think this is something you should see right now."

Maxi ignored him. He walked as if in a trance to Lise' bed and fell to his knees at her side. His eyes were threatening to spill over with tears, but he kept them back. He reached out to touch Lise' cheek. As soon as his fingers touched her skin, he jerked them back.

Her skin was ice cold.

It was at that moment that the tears he had been holding back were released. He rested his head on her mattress and allowed himself to misery. He wanted to kill whoever did this to her. Normally he was not a violent person, but whoever did this to his beloved could not be allowed to live. J.J. laid his hand on Maxi's shoulder, his thumb stroking his shoulder.

"Maximilien...the boy who did this has been locked up and he will face execution tomorrow."

Maxi looked at the philosopher, his eyes vacant.

_"Good...I hope he rots in the deepest darkest pits of Hell!"_

His voice was a whisper, but it contained so much anger and hatred that J.J. pulled his hand back. Maxi's eyes were now filled with anger and his face was flushing red. The boy tried to stand, but he felt weak. He tried to walk, but he collapsed after one step.

"Maximilien!"

The doctor examined the boy.

"He's merely in shock. It should pass. Keep them both in bed. Clean her wound every half hour with this."

The doctor handed J.J. a bottle of cloudy brown liquid which smelled horrible.

"It will prevent infection and speed the healing process. Keep her bandages fresh to keep infection out as well."

J.J. and Rése nodded, the woman turning to her daughter's still form and stroking her cheek. She kissed her forehead and got up to leave the room, muttering something about preparing a pot of hot water for her.

The doctor left and J.J. picked Maxi up by his arms, laying him next to Lise in her bed. The small bed barely fit the two, but it would have to be enough for now. J.J. cast one last glance at his daughter before leaving the room, shaking his head sadly.

Maxi turned his head to look upon Lise' features. Her skin was still white as snow and her skin was cold as ice. He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek, looking upon her with sadness in his eyes.

"Please Lise...survive. Survive for me, for you, for us..." he whispered to her, hoping that somewhere in her unconsciousness, she could hear him.

* * *

_A/N: Well...a horrific event in the life of someone just wouldn't make it interesting. Revenge is always a dish best served cold. _

_"Maxi, I know that you are deeply committed to the Revolution, but think of Lucile and Camille. The man who had once been your friend, you condemned him to death at the hands of Madame Guillotine. Is this to be my fate?"- Lise to Maxi._

_"Dearest Élisabeth, Maxim will not listen. You are my only hope of swaying him. Please, you must save my beloved Camille!"- Lucile Desmoulins to Élisabeth Robespierre._

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	14. Guilty Conscience

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Lise awoke to sharp pain in her side. She cried out and a soft voice shushed her. Her bleary eyes managed to focus on the dark figure of her mother, who was bathing her wound in a horrible smelling liquid. Her mother looked terrible! Her eyes were bloodshot and had heavy bags underneath them indicating little or no sleep. Tearstains had carved lines in her cheeks.

"Mama...what's going on?"

Rèse looked at her daughter, her eyes heavy with sadness.

"I'm cleaning your wound. You've been asleep for two days now."

Rèse dipped the slightly bloody washcloth into a tub of hot water, rinsing the blood out of it before soaking it in a bowl of brownish liquid, which reeked. Lise wrinkled her nose at it and her mother laughed.

"It'll help you, _bébé*," _she said as she pressed it to Lise' injury again. Lise bit her lip against the wave of pain that spread throughout her body.

"It's your birthday, by the way," Rèse said, a small smile touching her lips. "It's a nice way to spend your birthday, isn't it?"

Lise laughed. "I suppose so."

Rèse took the cloth away and wrapped a bandage around the wound.

"Maximilien's downstairs. He collapsed when he saw you. The poor boy almost lost it."

Lise closed her eyes, trying to keep her mother from seeing the sadness in her eyes, but Rèse had already seen it.

"I can bring him up if you want. He's been worried about you."

Lise looked at her mother for a moment before nodding. Her mother got up from the stool she had been seated on and walked to the door, opening it and calling Maxi's name. Lise heard Maxi's light tapping footsteps coming up the stairs and towards her room before he appeared in the doorway, his face drawn and tight with worry.

"Lise!"

He ran to her, falling to his knees next to her bed, his hand caressing her cheek.

"My beauty, who has done this to you?"

Lise didn't say anything for a moment, but when Maxi's brow began to turn further down into a frown, she spoke.

"Remember the boy who played the role of Pluto in _Proserpine_? It was him...Lèon."

Maxi shook his head, trying to comprehend this information.

"But why? Why would he do this?"

Lise shook her head slowly, her face grimacing in pain as she tried to raise herself up on her arms.

"He said something about me being responsible for having his lover kicked out of the opera house. He said that if I died, she would be able to come back. Lafayette said that she left, but he didn't say he kicked her out."

"Perhaps this Lèon was lying. Maybe he did it because his lover left him there and he wanted to take it out on the person taking her place...you," Maxi said, gently pushing her back down onto the bed. Lise allowed him to and sighed when the pain faded.

"A pretty _fille_ like yourself should never have gone through this," Maxi said, brushing a few strands of her sweaty bangs away from her face.

"Hopefully I will not catch an infection," Lise said, pressing her hand against Maxi's, his cool hand grasping her warm hand. Maxi leaned closer to Lise until his forehead was nearly touching her own. Lise waited for a gentle kiss, but it never came.

"Maximilien?"

Rèse's voice floated over them. Maxi drew away from Lise, his eyes glowing in the dim light. Lise looked to her mother's figure standing in the doorway, wishing fervently that her mother had not walked in at that moment. It had been a while since she had kissed Maxi and she missed it a lot.

Rèse said something quietly to the boy before he cast one last glance at Lise and left the room.

"Mama, where's he going?"

Rèse looked to her daughter, a small smile touching her lips. "He needed to go back home. He hasn't been at home or school ever since your incident."

Lise felt bad. Not only was Maxi going to get in trouble, but it would be her fault. If she hadn't been stabbed...

Rèse removed the bandage on Lise' wound before dipping a washcloth in the brown liquid again. She pressed it tightly to the wound, moving it slightly in an up and down motion. Lise' eyes rolled upward into her head at the wave of pain that coursed through her. It was enough to knock her out.

_June 5, 1770_

_Joyeux anniversaire, Lise. I know that you'll be spending it in your bed recovering, but I wish that it had not happened. We would be spending your birthday together at the Tuileries or at the meadows. I feel bad now that I have skipped out of a few lessons in order to stay at her side. If she found out, she would feel bad about it. Don't feel bad, Lise. I did it because I couldn't stand the thought of not caring for you when you are hurt. I will return in a few days to see her, but for now, I will send her a gift in order to speed her recovery._

_Maxi_

* * *

_A/N: I don't know why, but I have made it a habit to put quotes that will coincide with the story in._

_"I dream of music, the music of my soul. Calm and soothing, I feel content with who and what I am, even if it is a modest lifestyle devoid of riches and finery."- Élisabeth Rousseau to Queen Marie-Antoinette._

_"Élisabeth Robespierre...a beautiful woman such as yourself should have a better man as a husband. You need virility and strength in your man!"- Georges Danton to Élisabeth Robespierre._

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	15. Invitation from the King and Composing

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

A week had passed since the stabbing and Lise was recovering. She received many letters and gifts from well-wishers and admirers in the past few days, but the most notable letter that she got came from King Louis XV himself.

_I heard about the attempt on your life and I send my deepest condolences. I hope that you heal quickly because I have a proposition for you. Élisabeth, I have heard stories of your singing prowess. Might I inquire to the possibility of you coming to Versailles and singing for my grandson, his wife and I as well as the royal court? I expect a reply within a week. I hope that you would take this opportunity for you will be well paid._

_Signed on the Twelfth of June in the Year of Our Lord 1770_

_His Majesty Louis XV_

Rèse had almost fainted when she saw the signature of the king. J.J. had been shocked as well. It was rare that the king himself would write a letter to someone, especially to one who was not nobility, so it was considered a great honor to Lise because the king had personally invited her to Versailles.

Maxi had heard the news as well and came by to congratulate her. By that time, Lise was up and walking. J.J. hastily sent a letter back agreeing to Lise singing for the royal court.

The king requested a personal composition, one that had not been written or composed. Lise was at a loss. She was so used to singing what she was given that she didn't know how to write her own songs. She could come up with a melody and put words to it, but that required a lot of time on her part and she usually spent a very long time putting pieces of melodies she had come up with together. She would need help.

The performance for the court was in two weeks. Louis had given Lise ample time to create her own song in his opinion. So she spent hours in her room writing words to a melody that she had come up with.

_Le temps nocturne se durcit, augmente chaque sensation_  
_L'obscurité remue et l'imagination de sillages_  
_Silencieusement la raison abandonne leurs défenses_

She had spent nearly two days on these verses, racking her brain for the next verses. It was a complete disaster. How would she be able to sing for the king and the court if she didn't have anything?

A light tap to her window jerked her attention away from the paper. She rose, walked to the window and opened it, looking out into the streets of Paris. No one was around. She was about to close the window and go back to her work when a voice yelled her name. She looked down and saw Maxi.

"Maxi!"

She closed her window and ran down the stairs. She opened the door and Maxi slipped in, closing the door behind him. Maxi slipped his arms around Lise and kissed her gently. She smiled at him and tapped his nose when she pulled away.

"You're disturbing my work, you goof, but you are a welcome distraction. I couldn't think of anything to write," she said, laughing quietly.

"Well in that case, I have a surprise for you. Since you were indisposed for your _anniversaire_, I planned something for you," he said, kissing her forehead.

Lise allowed Maxi to lead her out the door into the semi-crowded streets of Paris. As they weaved through the people, Lise looked around and a sudden inspiration hit her when she watched a pair of lovers hug and the man caressed the woman's cheek. She blushed and turned back to Maxi, who was still leading her. He turned for a moment to look back at her, a warm smile on his face. Lise' blush grew, her face turning bright red. Maxi chuckled before turning back to the road in front of him.

His leading brought them from the streets of Paris to the beautiful rolling green hills of the countryside. It was there that he led her to a particularly beautiful part of the hills where a large blooming blossom tree stood and underneath it, a picnic was laid out. Lise' stomach growled at her in protest of the lack of food. Maxi laughed and led her to the blanket laid out on the grass. She sat down upon it and Maxi took his place next to her. She allowed herself a few bites of soft brown bread, thinking of the man and woman she had seen in the Parisian streets. It made her want to grab a piece of paper and write words down. Looking around, Lise crawled and picked up a small stick from the ground, coming back to Maxi and drawing in the earth. Maxi watched her do this with curiousity.

When she was done, Lise sat back and stared down at the words she had written in the ground.

_Lentement, doucement, la nuit déroule sa splendeur_  
_Empoignez-le, détectez-le, tremblant et tendre_  
_Détournez votre visage de la lumière voyante de jour_  
_Détournez vos pensées de la lumière impitoyable froide_  
_Et écoutez de la musique de la nuit_

Over her shoulder, Maxi stared down at the words, mouthing them silently. He looked at her, confused."A song about night?"

Lise nodded. "_Oui_. I think the royal court will like it."

Maxi shrugged. "I think it would sound good if you put it to song. Simply writing them down will not create a song. It is what the perfomer does with it."

"Music is my soul, my calling in life," Lise said, turning to brush a sweet kiss upon Maxi's lips. "I adore it. It fills me with happiness and soothes my pain. When I get up on that stage and sing for the people, I feel...alive."

Maxi hugged Lise against him, burying his face in her curly hair.

"_Ma belle*_ Lise, I would support you in your decision for as long as I live. Hearing you sing soothes my mind," he said, stroking her back.

Lise pulled away from him and smiled at him before kissing him again. The two children sat there for what seemed like hours, kissing and holding one another before it started to get dark. Maxi packed up the picnic and held Lise' hand on the way back to Paris.

Lise sat at her desk nearly eight days later, looking over the new lyrics that she had written. Only two more stanzas and she would be finished.

_Fermez vos yeux et capitulation à vos rêves les plus sombres_  
_Purgez vos pensées de la vie que vous saviez auparavant_  
_Fermez vos yeux, permettez à votre esprit de commencer à monter_  
_Et vous vivrez comme vous n'avez jamais vécu auparavant._

_Doucement, adroitement, la musique vous caressera  
Entendez-le, sentez-le, possédez-vous secrètement  
Ouvrez votre esprit, permettez à vos fantaisies de vous dérouler  
Dans cette obscurité que vous savez vous ne pouvez pas lutter  
L'obscurité de la musique de la nuit_

_Permettez à votre esprit de commencer un voyage par un nouveau monde étrange  
Quittez toutes les pensées de la vie que vous saviez auparavant  
Permettez à votre âme de vous prendre où vous longtemps pour être!  
Seulement alors, pouvez vous m'appartenir_

Lise thought about her time with Maxi that day and how when they had been together at the picnic, he had held his hand to her cheek and kissed her lips. She also thought of her love for music and as she thought of these things, she began to write once more.

_La mise à flot, le fait de tomber, l'intoxication douce!_  
_Touchez-moi, fiez-vous en moi, savourez chaque sensation_  
_Permettez au rêve de commencer! Permettez à votre côté plus sombre de céder_  
_Au pouvoir de la musique que j'écris_  
_Le pouvoir de la musique de la nuit!_

She thought of Maxi's words, how he said he would support her in her singing. Through him, she would be able to make her music because of her love for him. Her love and his love!

_Vous seul pouvez faire ma chanson prendre la fuite!_  
_Aidez-moi à faire la musique de la nuit!_

It was finished. Lise could hardly believe it. She had written a song worthy of the king! Now all she had to do was sing it.

"_Mère! Père!"_

Lise had called for a family gathering in the sitting room, planning on presenting her piece for the king to them. Once everyone was situated in chairs, Lise stood before them and bowed.

"_Maman, père, frère_, I have done it. A song meant only for the king and his grandson."

As the family watched, Lise took a few deep breaths, then began her song. When she finished, her mother was dabbing at her cheeks with a handkerchief. J.J. sat with a rigid posture, his eyes shining with adoration and Robbie just stared.

"Lise, _soeur, _if the king does not like that, I am going to have to kick his _derrière*,"_ Robbie said, earning a choked laugh from J.J. and a muffled giggle from his mother. Lise beamed proudly. Now there was the test of the royals to pass. Hopefully, Lise thought, they loved the song as much as her family did.

_June 22, 1770_

_I have only four days in which to perfect the song. That day will be a great event for my family, for if it goes well, then the King would pay me to come to the court every so often and sing for them. I should sing this song for Maxi and see if he likes it..._

_Lise_

* * *

_A/N: Two quotes per chapter. Before I actually write the chapter, I put the two quotes in first and when I started writing this one, I had the idea to put the quote in. It may be the only one in the same chapter, but time will tell. The reason why I put so much emphasis on the parts I write about Lise singing is because her singing career plays a major role in the years of the Revolution. In her singing, she becomes a favorite of Marie-Antoinette, which casts a bit of a pall on Lise for a moment in time. Her career made her popular and well-liked, so it was her influence that Maxi used to his advantage._

_"Élisabeth, I have heard stories of your singing prowess. Might I inquire to the possibility of you coming to Versailles and singing for my grandson, his wife and I as well as the royal court?"- Louis XV in a letter to Élisabeth Rousseau._

_"Accusations of tyranny be damned! Maximilien cares for the needs of the people!"- Élisabeth Robespierre to the National Convention before Maxi's execution._

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	16. La Musique de la Nuit

_**Characters featured in the first series of chapters concerning pre-adolescent years**_

_**1770**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Bonbon- Augustin Bon Joseph de Robespierre, Maxi's younger brother; born 1763**_

* * *

Lise stood before many well dressed people. Ladies in dazzling gowns and jewels looked upon her with a bit of disdain while the men in their flawless waistcoats and breeches looked upon her with curiousity. She felt a little intimidated before all these people. The only person she knew out of all of them was her father who stood behind her, holding her shoulders. Her father addressed the richly dressed man seated on an elegant chair, whom she took to be Louis.

"Your Majesty, I bring my daughter Élisabeth before you. At your request, she will sing for you a song which she has composed herself. I can only hope that Your Majesty enjoys the song she will sing."

Louis waved a hand to J.J., who bowed and backed away from Lise, who was left at the mercy of the court. She looked around at all the courtiers, feeling shy and nervous. Louis beckoned her to him and she slowly made her way toward him, the rustle of her petticoats the only sound in the room. As she approached the king, she noticed a young boy of about fifteen standing near him wearing the royal colors. She took him to be Louis his grandson, and the beautiful girl next to him his wife.

"Élisabeth Rousseau. I've heard stories about you. You are very pretty for a child, I was not told this. I will give you a few minutes to compose yourself and then you will sing for us," Louis XV said, his voice surprisingly warm and low.

Her nervousness dispelled, Lise gave him a small, slow smile.

"Your Majesty, with great honor."

She bowed before him and turned to walk back to the center of the grand room. She stopped there and looked around at everyone in the room. For a moment, she closed her eyes and imagined she was back on the stage of the Opera House, where she felt so comfortable. She heard the melody of the song playing in her head and with that, she turned around to face the king. She opened her eyes and looked him straight in the eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out, spreading her arms as if she was worshipping God, and she began singing.

_Le temps nocturne se durcit, augmente chaque sensation_  
_L'obscurité remue et l'imagination de sillages_  
_Silencieusement la raison abandonne leurs défenses_

The words flowed smoothly from her mouth. J.J. noticed the courtiers sit up straighter as they kept their eyes upon this young girl.

_Lentement, doucement, la nuit déroule sa splendeur_  
_Empoignez-le, détectez-le, tremblant et tendre_  
_Détournez votre visage de la lumière voyante de jour_  
_Détournez vos pensées de la lumière impitoyable froide_  
_Et écoutez de la musique de la nuit_

_Fermez vos yeux et capitulation à vos rêves les plus sombres_  
_Purgez vos pensées de la vie que vous saviez auparavant_  
_Fermez vos yeux, permettez à votre esprit de commencer à monter_  
_Et vous vivrez comme vous n'avez jamais vécu auparavant._

_Doucement, adroitement, la musique vous caressera  
Entendez-le, sentez-le, possédez-vous secrètement  
Ouvrez votre esprit, permettez à vos fantaisies de vous dérouler  
Dans cette obscurité que vous savez vous ne pouvez pas lutter  
L'obscurité de la musique de la nuit_

_Permettez à votre esprit de commencer un voyage par un nouveau monde étrange  
Quittez toutes les pensées de la vie que vous saviez auparavant  
Permettez à votre âme de vous prendre où vous longtemps pour être!  
Seulement alors, pouvez vous m'appartenir_

_La mise à flot, le fait de tomber, l'intoxication douce!_  
_Touchez-moi, fiez-vous en moi, savourez chaque sensation_  
_Permettez au rêve de commencer! Permettez à votre côté plus sombre de céder_  
_Au pouvoir de la musique que j'écris_  
_Le pouvoir de la musique de la nuit!_

Lise thought of Maxi at that moment. The verse that she would sing next always reminded her of him.

_Vous seul pouvez faire ma chanson prendre la fuite!_  
_Aidez-moi à faire la musique de la nuit!_

Lise fell quiet, her arms falling slowly to her sides and her hands coming together.

J.J. looked around at the crowd, trying to gauge their reaction. The nobles sat there in silence, still staring at this young girl. Then one by one, the nobles began to clap. Louis XV stood up with his grandson and his wife and began to clap, smiling at Lise. The applause went on for nearly two minutes until the king raised his hand and the room fell silent.

"Élisabeth, your performance was extraordinary. I would ask you to become the royal opera singer for us?"

J.J. inhaled sharply. Would Lise take this opportunity as well as keep her duties to the opera house? Lise thought for a moment before looking to the king and nodding.

"Splendid! You may return home. When I feel the need for a pleasant performance, I will send for you."

Maxi had waited anxiously at Lise' home for a good three hours before her mother told him she was at Versailles. Maxi was surprised when Lise' mother told him that she had been there since 10 AM. Instead of leaving to go home, he waited longer. He sat in a chair just outside her house with a book, waiting her return. He had been sitting there for nearly two more hours when he heard the clopping of horses. He looked up to see J.J. riding on a brown horse with Lise next to him on a white mare. Maxi smiled. With the money that Lise was earning, it was more than enough to get a few things for her family, such as a few horses.

"Maxi, how long have you been here?" Lise asked, her smile returning in a flash.

"A long time, _chéri, _but it does not matter now. You are here and I am at ease."

Lise smiled at him as Maxi came forward and helped her off her horse. He held her waist as she slid off the horse right into his arms, where the young boy enveloped her in a hug. Lise pulled away from him and gave him a ridiculous grin, every tooth showing.

"Lise, what's that for?" Maxi asked, a little freaked out by her smile.

"The king made me his royal opera singer. I'm to go to Versailles every week and perform for him."

Maxi smiled widely at Lise. "Lise, _chéri,_ that's wonderful! You'll be famous before you know it!"

Lise smiled sadly. "Yes, but I don't want to be famous. I just want to be a humble opera singer. Singing is my passion, but I don't want to use it to become famous. That's not what one's calling in life should be used for."

Maxi nodded to her words. "It's not always good to be famous. You'd have people hounding you and wanting to have you in their parties and salons. I never had a taste for parties."

"Maybe it's because you're Mr. Antisocial," Lise said, earning a mild look from Maxi.

"Let's go inside to tell your mother the news, Élisabeth," J.J. said after he had put the horses into the stable. The two children followed him inside and after a few minutes of listening to J.J. talk to Rèse, Lise was ambushed by her. Rèse grabbed her into a big hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her. Robbie was off at school.

"Thérèse, let's leave them alone for a little while. I'm sure they will want to spend time together," J.J. said when he finally pried her off Lise. The two adults disappeared into the other room, leaving the two children alone.

Maxi and Lise looked to each other before laughing. Her mother's reaction had been priceless. She had almost fainted from the news. Maxi took Lise' hand.

"Lise, I cannot express how happy I am for you. You are marvelous in every sense of the word!" he said as he kissed her forehead and hugged her to him. Lise beamed at him, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"I never thought that God would have granted me such luck. It's almost too much to believe that my life would be this perfect," she said.

Maxi merely smiled and hugged Lise again. Lise settled into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.

_'But life would not be so perfect without you, Maxi.'_

* * *

_A/N: The first fifteen or so chapters feature the pre-adolescent years. The fifteen to twenty chapters afterward concern the adolescent years and the chapters after that will concern the years afterwards. _

_"Maxi...know that even in death, I will always love you. Seeing you like this, unable to speak, bloody...it breaks my heart."- Lise to Maxi before his execution._

_"Maximilien, I would gladly give you her hand in marriage seeing as how you make her so happy, and she makes you happy."- J.J. to Maxi_

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


	17. A New Feeling

_**Characters featured in the second series of chapters concerning adolescent years**_

_**1775**_

_**Lise- Élisabeth Isabelle de Rousseau, daughter of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; born 1759**_  
_**Maxi- Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre, disciple of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; student at the Louis-le-Grand School in Paris; born 1758**_  
_**J.J. - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Enlightenment philosopher**_  
_**Robbie- Robert François de Rousseau, Lise's elder brother; born 1755**_  
_**Rèse- Thérèse Levasseur, Lise's mother, seamstress**_  
_**NeNe- Anne Henriette de Colbert, Lise's childhood friend, noble-born, born 1757**_  
_**Marie- Marie Devereux, fellow opera singer, born 1753**_  
_**Marie-Antoinette- Queen of France, friend to Lise, born 1755**_

* * *

It was June 8, 1775.

Another day, another rehearsal.

Lise walked through the streets of Paris, avoiding people carrying baskets of bread or mules carrying grain. For nearly five years, she had been in the employ of the Paris Opera House and of the royal court at Versailles. It was not dull in the least, but it was becoming her routine in being at rehearsals and singing for the court.

All her worries were always forgotten whenever she saw her beloved Maxi. He was currently at his college studying law, but he would be by in a few hours for his daily visit to Lise. They had been seeing each other for nearly five years, having developed their relationship from childhood sweethearts to young lovers.

Lise and Maxi were also engaged to be married. Her father had consented to their betrothal and promised the girl to the boy. Her mother had been weeping tears of joy and Maxi's aunts had been shocked to say the least. They were pious women, women who did not marry and did not have any lovers except the Church. Clearly they had not expected their nephew to want to marry a girl.

Lise arrived home and walked through the door to greet her mother, Rèse, who was busy making dinner for the family that night. Her mother had not grown older. The woman had to only be in her forties, but it was obvious that the years had been very kind to her. It was her father that Lise was more concerned about.

J.J. had grown old, but he still retained the youthful rigor of his earlier days. The years had taken a toll on him, leaving him a little thinned out and wrinkled. It hurt Lise to see her father like this, but she kept him company on nights when he would not sleep, but would rather sit in the sitting room playing the piano. She would sing little lullabys to him to soothe him during these nights as well.

After having helped her mother with the vegetables, Lise ran out the door over to her friend NeNe's for a little while to wait for Maxi to come by. NeNe had always teased her about her relationship with Maxi, but Lise knew deep down inside that NeNe liked Lise' brother, Robbie. She didn't mention it, but she knew just by the way NeNe spoke to Robbie. Maybe it was time to get them together...

Maxi walked through the large doors of the Louis-le-Grand college with a lighter heart. The studies were done for the day, his homework was completed, and now all he wanted was to go see Lise. She had just turned sixteen, a day meant that she was just now becoming a young woman. He made his way through the streets of Paris, winding through the people to approach Lise' home. In the four hours that Maxi had spent in studies, Lise had come back from NeNe's home and was now sitting in her room reading a book, Voltaire's _Dictionnaire philosophique._

Upon hearing the knock on the door and Rèse answering it, Lise was already running down the stairs and into the parlor, running straight into Maxi's arms.

"Maxi!"

The two hugged tightly, kissing each other gently.

"Lise, _mon amour_, I have missed you," he said, his voice no longer the high boyish quality when he had been twelve years old. He was a man now, with a lower voice that held just a bit of a shrillness to it, but strong and gentle.

J.J. and Rèse stood by, watching the two lovers with happiness. Rèse cleared her throat loudly, causing them to break apart with blushes on their faces.

"Maximilien, you can stay for dinner tonight, but Élisabeth, _behave!_" Rèse said. She knew of Maxi and Lise' tendency to play around at the table even though they were much older now.

Dinner was surprisingly quiet. J.J. normally talked during dinner, but he was quiet. Maxi constantly looked to the old man with worry etched on his face, but Lise told him time and again that J.J. was fine. After having cleaned up the dining room and cleaning the dishes, Maxi and Lise took their usual walk through the Tuileries gardens.

However, their walk lasted longer than Lise thought it would.

"Lise, _ma chère, _it has been nearly five years since you and I met."

Lise nodded, her hand holding Maxi's.

"It has been on my mind for some time, but our relationship has progressed from us being children to young adults. Lise, _je vous aime_. I want to be with you, spend every minute of my life with you, breathe the same air as you, love as much as you do. You are my world, _ma belle."_

Lise smiled at him, squeezing his hand tightly. "I feel the same, Maxi."

Maxi smiled, then looked around. There was no one around at that time of night. It had to be at least eight in the evening. Everyone would be in their homes at the time and the prostitutes would be coming out to play. Maxi led Lise into a grove of small trees in the gardens, deeper into the cover of darkness.

"Maxi, what're you do-"

Lise was cut off when Maxi kissed her. It was not a sweet gentle kiss, rather a passionate one. It was the sort of kiss that a starving man would bestow upon the woman he loved and had not seen for a long time. She felt him pushing her against the rough bark of a tree, surprising her completely. What was Maxi doing to her? Why did she feel giddy with ecstasy?

Maxi's hands were everywhere. They were running up and down her sides, over her shoulders and over her hips. His lips were searching hers, his tongue invading her mouth and exploring. Lise did not push him away. She let him go with this, wanting to see what would happen and if he would be able to control himself. She knew that if he should snap, she could push him away without a problem because he didn't want to hurt her.

She began to respond to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her. His lips left hers for a moment as they traveled down the curve of her jaw and down to her throat, kissing and nipping the soft skin there. Lise found herself momentarily lost in the pleasure it brought. She clung to him, little cries of pleasure escaping her now and then when he would nip at a particularly sensitive spot on her throat. She never thought that she would be so sensitive to this. She found herself being helped down to the soft ground, Maxi resting his weight on her.

"Maximilien..." she moaned when his hands found her chest through the fabric of her dress. What was happening!

His hands had already untied the small shawl that she wore and it lay beside her. It was white. She looked at it as he kissed down her neck, a feeling of guilt rising in her. White, the color of purity. She had meant to remain pure for Maxi until they were married, but if she let Maxi go through with this, there was a high chance that she would be impure by the date of their marriage.

"Maxi...stop," she said, tryiing to push against him. If Maxi had heard her, he gave no indication as he started to slide her dress off her shoulder. She bit back a groan when he bit the sensitive skin of her shoulder before laving it with his tongue, soothing the bite marks.

"Maxi, stop!" she yelled as she pushed against him with her full strength. It was enough as he fell to the ground, his cheeks flushed and his chest heaving. Lise sat up, arranging her clothing back to its more modest appearance.

"Lise, _ma belle_, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me!" he wept, clutching her shoulders and holding her tightly. "I didn't mean to do it!"

Lise sighed and held him, patting his back gently and rocking him.

"Maxi, you're alright. The good thing is that you stopped." Lise kissed him gently to soothe him. Maxi sighed heavily, looking down at his hands.

"Lise, it's just that...I love you so much and I want to be with you."

"Maxi, you don't have to indulge in pleasureful acts just yet. I promised myself that I would be yours when we are married. Yours always and forever," she said, tilting his head up to look at her. Maxi managed a small smile before kissing her again, this time a sweet gentle kiss.

"Let's put this behind us for now. We may not indulge yet, but there are other things that we can do," she said, a sly smile spreading across her face. Maxi hugged her to him and laughed, weaving his hands through her curly hair.

"Yes. Now let's get you back home. Your parents are probably worrying right now."

Lise allowed Maxi to lead her from the gardens, but as they were making their way through the streets of Paris, a prostitute stopped them. She had to be at least twenty years old and she had messy blond locks and garish makeup.

"Why hello there, big boy. Would you like to spend a night of joy with me?" she said, raising her hand and curling her finger in a 'come hither' motion. Maxi gripped Lise' hand, standing up straighter and straightening his jaw.

"_Pardonnez-moi,_ madame, but no thank you. I am here with my betrothed."

The woman looked Lise over, taking in her mussed hair and swollen lips. She smiled and stepped closer towards Maxi, running her finger down his chest.

"Awww don't be like that. I'm sure you can do much better than her," she said, pressing her breasts up against him. For once, Lise felt the white hot burn of jealousy. She wanted to smack this woman, but she was brought out of her thoughts when Maxi's hand released hers and pushed the woman away from him.

"I'm sorry, but no thank you. I'm here with my betrothed," he repeated, enunciating his words. Once again the woman looked over to Lise with a calculating eye. Looking like she had made up her mind, she stepped towards the younger girl.

"Then how about you, honey? You look like you need a good romp," she said, running her finger down Lise' cheek to her breasts. Lise shivered and slapped the woman's hand away.

"No! I wouldn't compromise myself like that," Lise said as she stomped away. Maxi cast one last glare at the prostitute before running to catch up with Lise.

"Lise, I'm sorry you had to see that," he said, taking her hand again. She gripped it tightly.

"It's quite alright. I've seen it happen with my mother and father, except my mother would have punched the whore," she laughed.

The two young adults walked back to her house in silence. Once there, Maxi took Lise into his arms again and kissed her. Lise wrapped her arms around his neck and held him closer to her, wanting to feel him against her. He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead on hers.

"Til tomorrow, Lise. _Je vous aime, ma belle_."

"_Je vous aime, mon amour_," she whispered.

He pressed his lips to her forehead before slipping out of her arms and into the darkness.

_June 8, 1775_

_I do not know how to describe this night. What I felt with Maxi was...more than I thought was possible. A strange feeling came over me, like my entire body was alive and humming. Is this...lust? My father has spoken about it so much, it must be it. I know that I love Maxi, but is this feeling consistent with love? What is the difference between love and lust? Are they the same thing? I won't deny that I loved what Maxi had been doing, but a part of me is telling me that I should stay pure for him until the wedding night. It is only proper. Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with fooling around, but there are boundaries that cannot be crossed. I will let Maxi know of them when another time like this comes around._

_Lise_

_June 8, 1775_

_I am happy that Lise stopped me when she did or else I would not have been able to control myself. This feeling, so sudden and new, came quickly. I know Lise liked it at first. I understand her reasoning for not letting me continue, but a part of me is disappointed. If this is the case, I cannot wait for our marriage. Other than that, I was chosen to be the student at Louis-le-Grand to give a Latin speech to the king for when he comes to the college. He will be here in a few days, so I must be ready for that day. I love you Lise. Goodnight._

_Maxi_

* * *

_A/N: On that note, we have now moved on to the adolescent years. Maxi and Lise are now teenagers and are hormone driven, so I have changed the rating to an M just to be safe and also, there will be blood in this story so be prepared._

_"How is it that your husband pays so much attention to you? My husband and I have been married for nearly ten years and he pays no attention to me!" Marie-Antoinette to Élisabeth Robespierre._

_"Élisabeth, I think it's good that you married Maxim. He seems to be much more relaxed after being with you."- Camille Desmoulins to Élisabeth Robespierre._

_Rose Lillian Marshall_


End file.
